Sun Scorched
by Syn2
Summary: Oz meets a Slayer-in-Waiting and has a little trouble of the fanged variety. *complete*
1. Prologue

Title: Sun Scorched  
Author: Syn  
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, actually...they DO belong to me. Everyone but Oz that is.  
Summary: Oz meets a Slayer-in-Waiting and has a little trouble of the fanged variety.  
Rating: R...a lot of violence, but not too much sex. At least not yet.  
Feedback: Yes!! Tell me what a crappy job I'm doing...please, I beg of you! :)  
Distribution: You want this? wow...okay....just tell me first.  
A/N: This fic is HUGE, at least in my opinion. I wrote it about a year ago and I reread it a couple days ago and I decided it needed to be posted somewhere. Also, I'm aware of just how Mary Sueish Aren is.   
  
***********  
  
  
Prologue  
  
Aren ran from Willis's little motel room, covered in the Watcher's blood. Behind her, she could hear Orion and his gang regrouping. She coughed, realizing she had sucked in a huge lungful of vampire dust. It sickened her to think that the dead vampire was now marinating in her lungs.   
  
She coughed once more and sprinted down the street, as far from Willis's motel and the vampires that wanted to kill her as she could go. She groped at the bouncing golden jewel around her neck, making sure she didn't lose it. The vampires must not get it.   
  
Tears rolled down her face as she thought about Willis. Her Watcher was dead because of her. With a gut-wrenching twist, she forced the image of his bloody corpse from her mind. She had to get out of Las Vegas as quickly as possible.   
  
Blinded by her tears, she tripped on an unseen curb and her huge backpack swung off her shoulders. Hastily she scooped up the pack and slung it onto her back; her eyes caught a little knife that had fallen from one of the pockets. Distractedly, she picked it up and rammed it into her back pocket.   
  
Soon she was three blocks from Willis's motel and away from the vampires. But not for long, she thought. They would get her soon, if she wasn't careful. What she needed was a vehicle and money.   
  
Cutting through a bush on the side of a seedy little motel, she saw her salvation and wiped away her tears as best she could. Inside, she hated what she was about to do, but her survival instincts were stronger than her feelings of right and wrong at the moment and she hurried onward.   
  
******  
  
Oz yawned and stretched his muscles, glancing at his watch as he did so. It was time to go, and not too soon, in his opinion. He quickly got dressed and left the motel, stepping out onto the sidewalk in front of the little dive and looking around the parking lot as he did so. In the distance he could see the lights of the Vegas strip imbuing the night sky with dazzling brightness.   
  
On the way towards his van, a sudden noise behind him stopped him in his tracks.. He twirled, very conscious of the fact that he didn't have his stake on him. What he saw relaxed his mind, but his heart lurched; something was wrong.   
  
A girl was running towards him, tears and blood streaming down her face. She ran straight into him without seeing him and they both fell to the ground as she mowed him down. Oz sat up and bent over her, anxious to see if she was all right. She sat up too and stared at him, her eyes wide.   
  
"Are you okay?" Oz asked immediately, helping her up. She took his hand in her own bloody fingers and he hauled her to her feet with a grunt. She swayed a bit on her feet and he steadied her with a gentle hand to her back. "Are you okay?" He repeated.   
  
"Yes...I think." She said numbly tears streaming down her face, cutting paths through the blood speckled there. She brought a protective hand to a huge gold amulet around her neck. Oz glanced at it, then back up at her.   
  
"We should get you to a hospital. Come with me. It'll be all right, I promise." Oz said gently, leading her towards his van.   
  
"You promise?" The girl said, the tone of her voice low and rough with anger. Oz was startled and he turned to look at her sharply. She tossed her long dark hair and brought a hand out from behind her back. Oz saw the glint of a wicked little blade in her hand. He took an involuntary step backward.   
  
"Give me your money and your car keys. Right now!" She said, her voice shaking slightly as she brandished the knife at him. He looked into her eyes and he saw fire in the dark pools.   
  
"No." Oz said, shifting position, in case he had to run for it.   
  
"Give it to me or I'll hurt you. I swear!" The girl said, glancing back quickly over her shoulder. She gulped and waved the knife some more.   
  
"Put down the knife." Oz commanded her, holding up his hands in defense. Something was wrong with her; maybe he could convince her to trust him. But the fire in her eyes told him otherwise.   
  
"No! Give me your wallet and your keys! NOW!" The girl demanded angrily, her voice edged with panic. Oz could see she was desperate; she might even do what she said. What had this girl so spooked?   
  
"Alright. Let me reach into my pocket, okay?" Oz said slowly, eyeing her knife arm. He started to reach behind himself, but his arm shot out and grabbed the hand that held the knife. He pulled her close and tried twisting the knife from her fingers. He was successful and the knife clattered to the ground.   
  
She struggled to get free of his grip and she kicked a leg behind her. It connected with his inner thigh and he let go of her. She stooped to pick up the knife and turned on him. She brought it up to his throat before he could move.   
  
"Give me your wallet. Or I swear I'll kill you!" Her voice trembled with fear and he gulped back a moan of pain.   
  
"If you're in trouble, let me help you! Please." Oz said, his voice as calm as he could make it.   
Suddenly, her knife flashed and he felt a sharp, jagged pain in his arm. Looking down, he realized that she had cut him. Blood spurted from the deep wound on his arm and he clamped a hand over it. He looked up at her and was taken aback by the horrified look on her bloody face. Her lip trembled and she gulped at the sight of the blood, but it was gone in an instant, replaced by a cold, hard mask of indifference. Oz grimaced as she pulled back her fist and slammed it into his face.  
  
Oz went down on the ground, his vision blurred and his head aching. He felt her hand in his back pocket and he growled low in his throat as she took his wallet. He was glad he had thrown his keys into his guitar case; at least he still had his van.   
  
She didn't seem to mind that he had no keys on him because she ran away, leaving Oz laying on the ground, his nose bleeding almost as much as his arm. Through a haze of pain, he watched her disappear into the darkness, one guilty glance thrown over her shoulder at him. And then she was gone. It took several minutes after she was gone for him to get up and stumble to the van, his head pounding like a freight train was making a home in his ears.   
  
"I hate Vegas." Oz said as he climbed into the van, smearing blood all over the seat as he grimaced in pain. 


	2. Chapter 1: Nomads

Title: Sun Scorched  
Author: Syn  
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, actually...they DO belong to me. Everyone but Oz that is.  
Summary: Oz meets a Slayer-in-Waiting and has a little trouble of the fanged variety.  
Rating: R...a lot of violence, but not too much sex. At least not yet.  
Feedback: Yes!! Tell me what a crappy job I'm doing...please, I beg of you! :)  
Distribution: You want this? wow...okay....just tell me first.  
A/N: This fic is HUGE, at least in my opinion. I wrote it about a year ago and I reread it a couple days ago and I decided it needed to be posted somewhere. Also, I'm aware of just how Mary Sueish Aren is.  
  
*********  
  
Chapter One: Nomads  
  
A month later  
  
Aren squinted up at the sun, shading her eyes with her dirty left hand. Her tongue snaked out and licked her cracked, blistering lips. Sweat ran down her body, drenching her, but she didn't notice. They were getting closer; she could feel it.  
  
Looking back at the shimmering black asphalt of the road, she grimaced. It seemed to stretch for miles, empty and desolate. She knew she had many miles to go before she was safe; if she ever could be safe from them. Aren bent down and grabbed her backpack, slinging it over her sweaty back. She grunted a little at its weight, but it settled across her skin and she started walking once more, her weary feet kicking up little puffs of dust.   
  
She stopped often and drank from the bottle of water she had packed. She should have gotten more, but hadn't figured on the absence of cars. If one didn't come along, she might have to bed down in the desert. That thought did not appeal to her in the least; she would be too easy to find.   
  
The blistering sun was just beginning to set when she glanced behind her to see a glare of light coming in her direction. Her heart leapt and she flicked her long black hair away from her face, a bead of sweat dripping off the end of her beaky nose. Squinting in the dying sunlight, she saw the glint once more. Someone was coming.   
  
Soon the approaching vehicle was clearly visible and she ran her hands through her damp hair, hoping it looked all right. Aren kept walking, hoping to look nonchalant, but studying the vehicle out of the corner of her eye as it came towards her. From what she could see, it was a Mack truck pulling a huge white trailer. She had expected as much; truckers were the most common sight on these out of the way highways.   
  
Obviously the driver of the truck had seen her, because he sped up and was to her a lot quickler than she had estimated. The brakes squealed in protest and there was the sound of air whooshing. Aren let a devious smile cross her golden features and she tossed her hair in a flattering way.   
  
"Going my way?" The driver asked, rolling down his windows. She saw him looking her up and down, a slight smile on his weathered face.   
  
"Any way is my way." She called, grinning up at him.   
  
"Hop in!" He said eagerly, gesturing her towards the truck. She crossed the road and jogged to the other side. There he swung the door open for her and she climbed in, smiling as she took in the expression on his face.   
  
"I'm Butch. So, what's your name?" He asked, eyeing her long tanned legs out of the corner of his eye.   
  
"Tiffany." She lied and smiled coquettishly at him. He licked his lips and quirked his eyebrows at her. This would be a piece of cake...   
  
******  
  
Oz twisted the knob on the air conditioner, hoping to pump some cooler air into the van. He put his hand over the vent, checking to see if it was working. Nothing.   
  
Sighing, he grabbed the wheel, using his other hand to roll down the window. Warm air rushed into the van, blowing into his face. It cooled him down a little, but did nothing to alleviate the sweat that trickled down his body; he had long since removed his shirt.   
  
Looking around at the landscape, Oz suddenly realized that he hadn't seen any other vehicles on the road. He frowned slightly and shrugged. :Oh well. Less traffic is a good thing I guess. I don't have to deal with old ladies.: He thought.   
  
Just then, Oz saw a dark shape on the side of the road. He squinted his green eyes, hoping to see the shape better.   
  
It was a roadside truck stop, the kind he would normally avoid at all costs, but on this deserted desert highway, he didn't have much of a choice. He pulled the van to a halt next to the gas pumps, tires crunching on the loose gravel. Pulling on a white wifebeater, he hopped out of the van and started pumping gas. He leaned against the side of the blue van, turning his eyes skyward. His gaze met a perfect azure sky, devoid of clouds. In the west, the sky was tinged with pink; the sun already on its way to going down and it blinded him to look at it.   
  
His thoughts started to run in little circles, and, as usual he let it. His mind kept going back to the girl in Las Vegas. He ran a hand over the little puckered scar on his arm. It itched like hell and he was hard-pressed to keep his hands off of it. He frowned as he thought of all the money the girl had taken from him.   
  
: You'd think I would know better than to be nice to strangers. But no.: Oz thought wryly, but he remembered how lost and lonely she had appeared. Then she had drawn a knife on him and shattered the image. : A wolf in sheep's clothing. You should know something about that, Daniel.: He chided himself with amusement.   
  
Oz tore himself away from his thoughts and smiled up at the sky. Looking back at the truck stop, he saw there were several trucks parked outside. :That's why I didn't see anyone on the road. They were all here.: He thought, nodding his head to his inner monologue. Just then the gas pump chimed and he hastily pulled the nozzle out of his tank. He replaced it and started towards the building.   
  
He entered the restaurant and looked around. At the tables in the back, a few truckers were chatting, but mostly looking tired and dirty. One waitress was serving up a plate of hamburgers and french fries. The other was at the front counter, getting orders from a huge gray-bearded man that sat on one of the battered stools. In the kitchen, he could see the cook flipping burgers and steaks on a large grill. Oz's stomach rumbled and he decided he'd get something to eat before he started out again.   
  
He sat down at the counter, a few stools down from the other trucker, as the waitress looked at him expectantly. Her sagging features bored to the extreme as she popped her gum and tapped her pencil on her notepad. Oz hurriedly picked up a menu and glanced at it.   
  
"I'll have a hamburger and an order of french fries. Hold the mayo please." He said, putting the menu back on the scarred countertop. The waitress rolled her eyes and wrote down his order.   
  
:Well, that's friendly.: Oz thought sarcastically, running a hand through his hair. He glanced at his watch and calculated the miles up in his head. It wasn't far to Seattle. He'd make it there in a few days, if he slept in the van. :Wouldn't be the first time.:   
  
Soon the waitress was back with his food and he dug into it eagerly. It was good fare, for a little truck stop in the middle of the desert, and Oz ate it all in a few minutes. He even considered getting another burger, but decided he really couldn't afford it.   
  
He stood up and started off towards the bathroom. Rounding the corner, he ran straight into a lithe, dark haired girl. She stumbled backwards, obviously surprised, and tripped over a short, battered trashcan. She fell to the ground with slight grunt and Oz's hand went out immediately to help her up.   
  
"I'm so sorry. I didn't see you. Are you all...YOU!" He exclaimed in surprise. The girl from Vegas looked up at him with an equal expression of surprise and fear on her face. Then a scowl spread slowly over her golden features.   
  
"Oh shit! It's you! What are doing? Following me?" The girl said, her soft features twisted into an expression of annoyance. She climbed to her feet gracefully and gave him a dirty look. A quick glance down at the ground and she stooped to pick up a brown leather wallet. Quickly, she stuffed it into her shorts pocket and looked around guiltily.   
  
"Yeah right, like I'd follow you. Where the hell is my wallet?" Oz said, staring her down. He was only half an inch taller than she was, but she seemed to tower over him as she glowered at him.   
  
"You want your wallet back, huh? Sorry junior, no dice." She smiled nastily at him as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a familiar black wallet with red flames on it.   
  
"Give it back." He said through clenched teeth, looking her up and down as she waved his wallet at him.   
  
"What are you going to do? Fight me for it?" She laughed and tossed her hair haughtily, stuffing the wallet back into her pocket with a sneer.   
  
Oz growled and slammed her against the wall. It took her by surprise and she just stared at him, eyes wide and small chin quivering.   
  
"I don't want to, but I will. Give it back." He said in a low growl and she saw his eyes flash a strange yellow color for an instant. She gulped and blinked and when she opened her eyes, they were normal again. She thought she must have imagined it.   
  
"You want it back? Why don't you earn it?" She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "We can go into the bathroom and you can slam me around for awhile. How about it junior?" She ran a hand over his shoulders and moved her hips invitingly.   
  
Oz gritted his teeth and shrugged her hand away from his skin. "I'd rather kiss a snake."  
  
"Ohhh! Such tough talk, junior. You kiss your mother with that mouth?" She chided him, her eyes flashing. "Now why don't you let me go, before I get my knife out."   
  
Oz's eyes flicked down to the scar on his arm. She reached out her arm and caressed the puckered scar on his forearm. Her head tilted to the side as she winced from the memory of cutting him. "It scarred. Look at that." She said simply and for instant, he saw a flash of real guilt in her eyes. She looked back up at him and a shadow came to her mocking eyes.   
  
Then she clocked him.   
  
Oz reeled backwards and hit the wall, slidding down it as his eyes teared. The girl was gone in an instant.   
  
"God dammit!" Oz cursed loudly and struggled to get up.   
  
He started back towards the restaurant and was stopped by a loud, angry shout. He glanced around, dazed, and saw the source of the sound. The gray-haired trucker that was sitting at the counter was now standing at the cash register, an angry, livid expression on his weathered face.   
  
"She took it! That little bitch took my wallet!" The trucker shouted, turning around, his fingers curled into claws. He looked angry enough to kill.   
  
Oz looked around, wondering if he was talking about the same girl he had run into. :Of course he is. What other girl would he be talking about?: The trucker whirled around, looking about for the girl, but she was nowhere in sight. He charged like a great gray bull towards the front exit, throwing it open with a bang.   
  
"Sir! You can't leave without paying!" The no longer bored waitress called after him. Oz shot her a strange look; almost appalled to see her expression was one of excitement. Obviously, there wasn't a lot of excitement around here to be had. This must seem like Christmas to her.   
  
Oz had a sudden urge to follow the trucker, to get to the girl first. For some reason he couldn't explain, he had to find her. He stood there a moment, debating. He licked his lips and ran after the trucker.   
  
He was at the door when he felt a hand on his arm. He looked back in surprise to see the cook glowering at him.   
  
"You gotta pay." The gruff cook barked at him, greasy skin glistening in the florescent lights.   
  
"Oh yeah." Oz said numbly, reaching into his pocket. Over the greasy cook's shoulder he saw the waitress staring wide-eyed out the window. Oz shifted his gaze back to the door and saw what the waitress was staring at.   
  
The girl was kicking the trucker's ass. Then Oz realized what was about to happen. He turned to run in the opposite direction, shoving the cook away from him. He almost made it before the trucker crashed back through the door.   
  
Almost. 


	3. Chapter 2: Dark Ideas

Chapter Two: Dark Ideas  
  
Aren ran away from the red haired guy; she was completely unnerved. He had seemed disgusted with her and it annoyed her, and rattled her to the bone. She hadn't meant to come onto him either, it had just happened. She couldn't explain why. She just wanted him to stop staring at her like that.   
  
What was worse, he had seen her with that trucker's wallet. Without debating it for a second, she had clocked him and headed straight for the ladies room. It took her a few seconds to pry the window open, her fist throbbing in pain from where she had hit him. Soon the window was open to its full extent, just enough for her to scrape through, the rough metal frame digging into her belly.   
  
She utilized all her training as she tumbled head first out the window and flipped in mid air. She landed in the rough sand and gravel hard, but it didn't faze her. She stood, brushing dirt from her knees and hands. Aren immediately pressed her body flat against the side of the dirty building, keeping to the shadows. Night had long since fallen and she had no trouble blending in with the darkness.   
  
Glancing around the corner of the building, she saw that the coast was clear. She sprinted to Butch's white semi and swung up the side of it, opening the door and pulling out her heavy backpack as her heart flip flopped in her throat.   
  
She wasn't watching the front of the truck stop and she cursed loudly when she heard a familiar shout.   
  
"You little bitch! You took my fuckin' wallet!" Butch screamed at her, his face bright red in the neon lights from the gas pumps.   
  
"Butch! I would never! Why would I do that?" She said, smiling her most charming smile. She hopped down from the sideboard and walked towards him, swinging her curvy hips as she went.   
  
"Because you're a thief, you little bitch. I should have known. Give it back and I won't break your pretty face." Butch growled, his huge hands clenched into fists at his side.   
  
"Fine, have it your way. You want your money, come get it." Aren said, her voice sultry and low. She swung her backpack off and stood at the ready, eyebrows raised expectantly as she beckoned him towards her.   
  
Butch, angered past the point of rational thought, charged at the lithe young girl.   
  
Aren was ready and she swung her leg out, round housing him in the jaw. He stumbled, obviously surprised. She took advantage of his startlement and grabbed him by the throat.   
  
He growled gutturally and swung at her. It took her off guard and she didn't have a chance to move. His heavy fist connected with her face and she fell into the dirt. A sharp rock sliced through her exposed knee and she winced in pain.   
  
He smiled and reached for her, but she rolled away. Blood was seeping down her calves, but she ignored it and climbed shakily to her feet.   
  
She feinted a swing at him, and brought her foot up to his gut. He stumbled backwards a few feet and shook his head. He clocked her again before she could move. Blood spurted from her nose.   
  
Aren was losing, but she hadn't been trained relentlessly for ten years for nothing. She feigned a kick to his face and brought her fist up to hit his jaw. Surprisingly, he blocked the move and snarled at her. He hit her again, his balled fist crashing down into her shoulder and knocking the wind from her lungs. She fell to the ground once more and spat out a mouthful of blood.   
  
"Give up yet, you little thief?" Butch said, a nasty smile on his lips. Aren looked up at him through itchy, dust filled eyes and smiled wide. She shot to her feet and kicked at him.  
  
It was a lucky shot; it caught him in the gut, his most ample and vulnerable spot. Butch was too surprised to stop his backward momentum and he crashed through the door of the truck stop, glass and metal flying everywhere.   
  
Aren stared at what she had done for a split second; her full lips open in shock. She had never done anything like that before. Then she snapped back into reality. She had to get out of there. Quickly.   
  
She looked around frantically and her eyes rested on a big blue van parked beside one of the gas pumps. Without hesitating, she scooped up her backpack and sprinted towards it, scrambling into the back.   
  
*****  
  
Oz's vision cleared and he was aware that he was trapped under something heavy. He tried to shift his body, but found he couldn't move his legs. That panicked him; he hated cages, they instilled in him a fear that he couldn't control or explain. He lost his tentative control on himself for just a few seconds.   
  
Oz's whole body transformed; his face and hands grew thick, coarse hair, and his muscles stretched and grew taut. His usual calm, cool demeanor changed too. He growled and threw off the bonds of his prison.   
  
The trucker was laying in a ragged, sliced heap, landing in a sprawl where Oz had thrown him off his twisted body. Oz stared hungrily at the bloody wounds for a second, the wolf inside of him growing restless, struggling to break free.   
  
Around him he heard the whimper of the other customers in the restaurant. That stopped him.   
  
Immediately Oz reigned in his lycanthropy. He forcibly gained control of his body once more. It was a struggle, but he changed back into his normal appearance in seconds, panting heavily as he picked himself off of the glass-strewn floor.   
  
He looked around at the crowd, suddenly realizing that hard-bitten truck drivers were giving him a look of sheer terror. He swallowed and turned, eager to get away, jumping over the unconscious truck driver and tearing across the restaurant. He squeezed through the jagged door, not bothering to swing it open.   
  
He beat a path towards his van, pulling the keys from his pocket as he went. He swung the door open with a creak and hopped up on the seat, his heart racing in his chest. The engine roared to life immediately, and Oz thanked the gods for the new transmition he had gotten in Phoenix the week before.   
  
Without looking back, he pressed the gas petal and the van shot forward, kicking up a huge cloud of dust in its wake. He yanked the wheel hard and the van, tires squealing, veered into the road. Before he knew it, he was a mile down the road and well away from the truck stop.   
  
******  
  
  
Gen yawned and stretched her arms wide. Her back ached from where she had been sitting down all night. In the backseat of the car, she heard Beltram arguing with Remy, who was slicing his pale skin with a bowie knife.   
  
"Stop that! Don't you know how gross that is?" Beltram said, scrunching his long nose at the bloodless cuts. The punk looked up from his work and flashed Bel a nasty grin. He tossed his head, flinging a strand of bright green hair out of his eyes.   
  
"What? It doesn't hurt, you wanna try?" Remy teased, his long tongue lolling out and curling over his thin lips.   
  
"No. Honestly, some vampires have no class." Beltram said, turning to Pedro, who was sitting silent next to him. He reminded Gen of some great marble angel, brooding at the stars. "Don't you agree Pedro?"  
  
Pedro favored him a penetrating glare and Bel physically shrank away from him, nervously pushing his glasses back up on his nose. Gen smiled; she liked watching Bel squirm.   
  
"So, are we there yet Dad?" Remy said mockingly, putting down the knife and leaning towards the front seat.   
  
Orion laughed his humorless bark and said, "No Cubby. Why don't you and Kitten and Princess play charades?" He half turned in his seat to stare at the three vampires in the backseat of the Bonneville Pontiac convertible, the wind ruffling his long brown hair.   
  
Orion turned to Gen and smiled, his full lips curling back over perfect white teeth. Gen was struck once again with the beauty of him and she leaned across the seats, licking his ear, fingers curled in his thick hair.   
  
A smile played on his lips as he wrapped his arm around her waist and dragged her closer. Gen giggled and stroked his chest, her fingers clawed and scratching. Orion let go of the wheel and turned to her, his lips covering hers, pushing his cold tongue into her mouth. Gen shivered under him and clutched him tighter, giving herself to the kiss in wreckless abandon.   
  
"Umm..guys? The road..guys!?" Beltram called, his high, nervous voice growing frantic.   
  
Orion and Gen ignored them as Orion slipped his hand into her shirt. He kissed her hard and she felt his teeth nip her lips. Gen felt the car under her swerving on the road and she laughed deep in her throat.   
  
"Oh shit!" Remy said, his voice worried and tense. Out of the corner of her blue eyes, she could see him and Bel struggling to come across the seats. Bel's brown hair whipped in the wind as he stood up in the backseat, reaching for the wheel.   
  
Suddenly, Orion broke off the kiss and yanked hard on the wheel. The car righted itself with a screech of tires and Beltram was flung backwards over the seat. He reached blindly for a handhold and his flailing limbs met the folded down top of the car.   
  
Orion barked a laugh and looked back over his shoulder at Bel, who was holding on with all his strength. He punched the gas petal and the car shot forward.   
  
Beltram screamed in panic and struggled to climb back into the seat, but he couldn't muster the strength to haul himself up. He yelped pathetically as his hands began to slip off the folded top.   
  
Pedro turned to Orion with a questioning look. Orion nodded his head and smiled evilly, his dark eyes glinting in the darkness. Pedro effortlessly pulled Beltram back into the backseat.   
  
Gen pushed her long red hair out of her face and laughed heartily at the terrified look on Bel's face, his glasses askew. Even Pedro cracked a rare smile; Remy was positively doubled over with laughter, slapping his cut arm on his thighs.   
  
Beltram glared at them and shouted angrily at Orion, "You dick! I could have died!" He righted his glasses, his nostrils flaring.   
  
"My dear Beltram, how can you die when you're already dead?" Gen said, her husky voice full of mock and amusement.   
  
"Yeah well, tell that to Trevor. That bitch dusted him in a second and she got our prize." Beltram said, scowling at her.   
  
"Yeah, but we'll have her any night now. And we'll have the amulet. I can't wait to get a crack at her pretty little ass." Remy said, his cruel blue eyes gleeful as he thought of what he wanted to do to the would-be Slayer. She had staked him, but missed the heart and he hadn't fully gotten over the shock of it.   
  
"Orion, when will we get that Slayer girl? I'm tired of this boring little cat and mouse game. I want to go back to Vegas." Gen pouted, her red lips turned into a frightful childish mock. Orion smiled over at her, yet his dark eyes remained serious.   
  
"Soon Gen, soon. We'll have her and our amulet. And she doesn't have the Book. We have the advantage here. After we kill her, then we'll walk in the sun." Orion said, his smile faraway, his eyes on the road once more.   
  
The car full of vampires got quiet again and the wind whipped over their cold bodies.   
  
"Besides Bel, if you die, you won't leave a good looking corpse." Remy said out of nowhere.   
  
Beltram shot them all a dirty look as they exploded in laughter; it echoed hollowly through the dark desert night.   
  
  
******  
  
"Son of a bitch." Oz muttered under his breath as he groped blindly under the seat with one hand. His fingers touched a cool plastic surface and he hauled the first-aid kit onto the seat beside him. With gritted teeth, he rifled through it with one bloody hand, his body aching all over.   
  
He had several cuts from the flying glass and even more bruises where the huge trucker had landed on him. He tried to doctor himself one handed, but it was hard to do that and drive like a bat out of hell at the same time. Resignedly, he put the brakes on and threw it into park.   
  
He was reaching for a bandage when an arm snaked around the seat and wrapped around his neck. The hand held a familiar knife.   
  
******  
  
Aren nearly jumped out of the van when she saw the red haired guy climb into it, but she cursed quietly and stayed as still as she could. When he had roared away from the truck stop, she had gone flying across the floor of the van. It took all of her strength not to cry out as her injured leg connected with a guitar case.   
  
The red haired guy didn't seem to notice though. It seemed that he had other things on his mind. :What the hell is wrong with him?: Aren wondered, raising her head enough to see his reflection in the rearview mirror.   
  
He sped off down the road and then he disappeared below the back of the seat. For a second, Aren was alarmed, but then his head reappeared a moment later and he was holding a first-aid kit in his hands. The sight of the kit and the thought of the cut on her leg made her anxious. Then he had stopped the van.   
  
:Oh shit. What's he doing?: Aren thought, gritting her teeth in panic. :I can't stop so close to the truck stop. They'll find me for sure. I have to get away.:   
  
Before she knew what she was doing, Aren had slid a hand into her backpack and pulled out the first weapon she had felt. It was a wicked little knife that rested comfortably in her hand. She realized it was the same one she had pulled on him before and she grinned a little. She crawled silently across the floor of the van and as he reached for the first-aid kit, she shot out her arm and wrapped it around his neck.   
  
"Make one move and I'll slice you open like rotted fruit. I've done it once, I'll do it again. You got me junior?" Aren said, her voice sounding far braver than she felt.   
  
"Got you." Oz said, withdrawing his hand.   
  
"Start the van." Aren commanded, slithering around the side of the seat. She pushed the first-aid kit off the passenger's seat and sat down on it, the knife still pointed at Oz.   
  
Oz did what he was told, watching the girl out of the corner of his eye. He saw that she was bleeding heavily from a cut on her knee and blood was starting to crust around her nose.   
  
"You're bleeding." He said simply and nodded toward the first-aid kit.   
  
"No shit, Sherlock." Aren said, sneering at him. Her eyes flicked over to the kit on the floorboards and then back up at Oz. He looked away and concentrated on the road.   
  
She scooped up the contents of the spilt kit and started dressing her wounded knee. It was hard work, still holding the knife in threat and trying to play Florence Nightingale, but she managed just fine. The wound on her knee wasn't deep, but it bled like the proverbial butchered pig. And it hurt.   
  
She winced and Oz glanced over at her. His own wounds were aching and he felt for her. Not too much, after all she did have a knife pointed at him.   
  
When she was finished with her own wound, she glanced over at Oz, looking him up and down. She caught the sight of numerous cuts on his arms and one on his face. It looked like he was in pain. With a sigh, she grabbed some bandages and started in on his wounds.   
  
The guy looked a little surprised when she touched his arm and started cleaning his wounds. She looked up from her work and their eyes met for an instant. Aren sensed his gratefulness under the cool mask he was wearing. Aren quickly looked away.   
  
"So. Where are we going? Or do you even know?" Oz said in a hushed voice, barely audible over the roar of the van's engine.   
  
"I'm going as far from the truck stop as I can. I don't give a shit where you're going, junior." Aren said defensively. She was still rattled and acting rude was good for releasing her stress. She immediately felt sorry, after all the guy was being nice to her, even though she had just threatened to kill him, and beaten him up twice before.   
  
"Oz." The guy said shortly, glancing over at her.   
  
"What?" Aren said, puzzled.   
  
"My name is Oz, not junior. And you are?" Oz said, tilting his head in her direction.   
  
"Tiffany." She lied again, annoyed by his friendly tone. She had a knife in her hands, but he didn't seem worried anymore. It puzzled her; what was this guy's deal?   
  
"Oh." Oz said, then silence fell over them. Aren finished bandaging the deep cut on his arm and settled back in her seat, her back against the door. She appraised him with a cool glare and twirled the knife in her hands.   
  
"So what's your deal? You a musician or something?" She said, breaking the silence. For some reason, curiosity was eating her alive. She wanted to know what made this guy tick.   
  
"I am. Sort of." Oz said, glancing at her. "How'd you know?"  
  
"I banged into your case back there." Aren told him, shifting in her seat. She looked out the front windshield and saw that it was pitch black outside. The headlights of the van cut through the dark night like chocolate cake. It was a bit eerie and she licked her lips nervously. "So, I know what the hell I was running from back there, but what the hell is your deal?" She realized she was being blunt and sounded like a bitch. Right now she didn't much care.   
  
"I...wanted to find you. I thought you might be in trouble." Oz said; knowing it sounded lame and made up.   
  
"Why I do declare Mr. Beauregarde! You didn't have to that for little ol' me!" Aren said nastily, a cruel smile crossing her features.   
  
"Don't be a bitch." He said shortly, regarding her with a withering look. The smile faded from her lips and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Silence fell over them again and Oz kept glancing over at her.   
  
She still had blood caked in rusty patches on her face. Despite that, she was pretty in an exotic way, her slightly beaky nose aside. Her eyes were huge and filled up most of her face and her high cheekbones and pouty lips conspired to making her appealing. Oz suddenly realized she was Native American and he clamped his teeth over the question to confirm it; she'd probably just hit him he asked.  
  
From out of the corner of his eyes, he watched her move, the knife twirling in her hands. This girl had been trained in combat for years and he desperately wanted to ask her about that too, but decided against it. And there was something else that was bothering him.   
  
"So what's your real name?" Oz asked out of nowhere, giving her a knowing look.   
  
Aren looked at him and twirled the knife in her fingers. "Lauren. But everyone calls me Aren." She said quietly, turning her dark gaze back to the illuminated road ahead of them.   
  
"Its nice to meet you, Aren." He said cordially, holding out his hand in greeting. Aren couldn't believe him. She looked at his hand for a second and then reached out and took it in her own. His hand was warm and steady. Again she looked up at him, their eyes meeting. Oz smiled a little, the corners of his mouth drawing up pleasantly.   
  
Aren's face flushed and she withdrew her hand quickly. Oz did too and ran a hand through his spiky red hair. He watched as Aren settled back into the seat and put her wicked knife down in her lap. The smile was still on his face and it took some effort to wipe it off.   
  
They drove in silence for a while and he could see that she was fighting sleep. He spoke up, "There's a mattress in the back if you're tired." He said noncommittally.   
  
"Yeah I know." She said shortly. "I'm not tired."   
  
"Whatever."   
  
"What is that supposed to mean?"   
  
"Nothing!" He said quickly.   
  
"What?!" She yelled, annoyed by his casual mocking tone. It drove right through her last nerve.   
  
"I'm just saying, you look sleepy is all." He insisted, amusement in his eyes.   
  
"I'm not sleepy! Drop it okay? Jesus!" She exploded, picking up the knife again. He looked over at her and at the knife and she saw him lick his lips nervously. His uneasiness went straight to her heart and she gulped. Hastily she put it into her pocket and looked back out into the night.   
  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to press." Oz apologized quietly. She looked back over at him.   
  
"Forget about it, junior. I don't need an apology from a wimp like you." Aren told him, sneering over at him. She didn't know why she did it, but she couldn't help it.   
  
Oz clenched his jaw and slammed on the brakes.   
  
"What the hell are you doing?" She yelled, staring at him in disbelief.   
  
"Get out."   
  
"What? No!" She exclaimed, her mouth wide open.   
  
Oz braced himself, took the keys from the ignition and jumped out of the van. He sprinted over to her side of the van and jerked the door open. She sat there, staring at him. He reached up and grabbed her arm, yanking her out of the van.   
  
"What are you doing?" She said in disbelief, her shoes crunching in the gravel and sand. "Answer me!" Aren demanded numbly when he just glared at her. She suddenly realized that he was going to leave her out here, in the dark. Panic rose in her chest and anger soon followed.   
  
He turned his back on her and started back towards the van.   
  
"You bastard!" She screeched and leapt at him. He was ready and sidestepped her; she hit the side of the van with a clang. He cocked his head at her and regarded her coolly.   
  
She sat up and stared at him, anger burning in her brown eyes. She went to punch him again, but he blocked it and his own fist connected with her ribs. She was surprised and stumbled backwards a little. He pushed her down into the sand with one hand.   
  
Her butt landed in the dirt and she glared up at him. Her foot shot out and tripped him up. He hit the ground with a thump and she was on top of him in an instant. Her knife was out.   
  
She put it to his throat and glared down at him. He didn't seem to care as he glared up at her. Still, he wouldn't say anything. That aggravated her.   
  
She head-butted him and his head slammed into the dirt again. All of a sudden, his fist connected with her ribs again and she was thrown off kilter. He flipped her off of him easily and grabbed her wrist. The knife was still clenched firmly in her hand, but he forced it open. The knife fell to the ground with a muffled thump.   
  
Aren kicked at him, her foot pounding into his gut. He released her and she quickly stood up. She grabbed him by the hair and hauled him up, preparing to round house him.   
  
Instead, Oz got the upper hand and grabbed her around the middle, shoving her backwards like a football player. Her back slammed against the van, knocking the wind from her lungs. She struggled to get free, but he pinned her hands to the side of the van.   
  
Oz pressed his body against hers and stared into her eyes, anger boiling in his chest. She gasped as she felt his leg rubbing against hers, his fingertips brushing her face. His fingers trailed down her neck to her back, she felt his hand on her skin and she arched against it. Then his hand was on her butt and she bit her lip. He leaned forward, his lips grazing her ear; she closed her eyes expectantly.   
  
"This is mine." Oz whispered as he slipped his hand into her back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He stepped away from her, the corners of his mouth quirked a little.   
  
Aren growled in throat and glared at him. What the hell was wrong with her? Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could barely breath.   
  
"Whatever. Take it." Aren said, breaking away from him easily; the fight was finished. She slid the side door open and grabbed her backpack, slinging it over her shoulders. She all but ran away from the van, her feet kicking up clouds of dust.   
  
Oz ran after her.   
  
"Where are you going?" He called; she kept going.   
  
"Away from you, junior. You've got your wallet, I'm gone." She said, quickening her pace. She felt tears stinging her eyes and she struggled to keep them in.   
  
He hurried his steps and grabbed her by the arm, swinging her around. She stared at him, her jaw clenched, her chest heaving.   
  
"I'll give you a ride. At least until morning." He said, a grim look on his face. She could see he had bump on his forehead from the head-butt.   
  
"No dice, junior." She said nastily, nearly choking with the effort not to cry. "Now let me go."   
  
"Is that really what you want, to stay in the dark alone?" Oz asked her in a hushed voice, his hand still firmly on her arm.   
  
"What the hell do you care? What do you know?" Aren said, her voice thick. To her horror, the tears that had threatened to spill started rolling down her cheeks.   
  
"I know a lot more about it than you think. Believe me." Oz told her, stepping closer to her and holding her tight.   
  
"Well you believe me. There are things in this world that you can't even imagine." She said, her teeth chattering as she shivered in his arms.   
  
"I know." Oz said quietly.   
  
"Whatever. You can't even begin to understand. Now let me go." She said through clenched teeth, wiping a tear away.   
  
"No." Oz said firmly. Aren struggled to get out of his grip, but he held on. She swung a punch at him, but he easily avoided it. She started to panic.   
  
"I have to get away! Let me go, or they'll find me!" She screamed, her body shaking with sobs. He didn't let go and she gave up.   
  
Oz caught her as she collapsed. She bawled like baby against him and Oz wondered if he had gone too far. He picked her up in his arms, surprised at how light she was. She didn't struggle, only sob, as he carried her easily over to the van. The door was already open and he placed her on the seat, and then he got in and started it up, guilt riding shotgun. She didn't even move.   
  
Aren felt safer in the van than outside. The van didn't hold nightmares and shadows and evil nasty things. She shuddered and wiped the tears from her eyes. She had broken down in front of him, but she couldn't help it. She was terrified of the dark, and the things in the dark.   
  
They didn't talk for the rest of the night. The loudest sound was the hum of the engine until Oz turned on his CD player. Aren soon fell asleep, her raw eyes too swollen to keep open any longer. She was rocked to sleep by the movements of the van and lulled by the sounds of Radiohead. It didn't help that she felt safe with Oz at the wheel.   
  
For the first time in a long time, she trusted someone who wasn't herself and that scared her almost as much as the darkness.   
  
Oz couldn't stop himself from glancing over at Aren every few seconds. She looked like a little girl when she slept; she curled in on herself. It was hard to believe that she was capable of the things he'd seen her do. Oz had a feeling there was more to her than just her bad girl attitude and when she had broken down, he knew he was right. He wondered what had made her so afraid and he desperately wanted to ask her about it.   
  
His mind kept going back to that moment against the van. He had thought that she wanted to kiss him. He almost had. Oz gulped a little and bit his lip. What the hell was he doing?   
  
Oz didn't know. He didn't want to think about it.   
  
Then he remembered how he had wolfed out in the restaurant. The ghost of the panic he had felt, trapped under the trucker's body came back to haunt him. He had lost control. That hadn't happened in a long time.   
  
Oz caressed the wolfsbane charm on his hand and did a steadying mental chant. It made him feel better, but it didn't erase the guilt and shame. He wondered if anything ever would.   
  
Oz glanced back over at Aren and smiled a bit. Then he drove on towards dawn. It was a long night.   
  
******  
  
"She was here." Pedro said, his deep voice echoing across the parking lot of the truck stop. The sound of his voice made Gen jump. Hearing Pedro was always a surprise; he rarely spoke, even to Orion.   
  
"What makes you think that?" Remy said, jumping out of the back of the Bonneville. His black combat boots crunched on the gravel and he strutted over to where Pedro was crouched on the ground. Gen threw down her cigarette and crossed the lot, eager to hear what he had to say.   
  
"I can smell her blood." Pedro said shortly. As she approached, Gen saw that he held a sharp, blood stained rock in his strong fingers.   
  
"You sure its hers, Scooby?" Remy asked, plunking down in the dirt beside him.   
  
"I am sure." Pedro said, regarding Remy with a cool glare.   
  
"I'll get Orion." Gen said excitedly and rushed off towards the restaurant. She passed Beltram, who was bent over the Book, a flashlight in his hand, his glasses slipping down his nose. Gen rolled her eyes at him. What a bookworm.   
  
Syn stopped in front of the restaurant door, puzzled at what she saw. The frame was bent and there was no glass in it. Instead of swinging it open, she stepped through the jagged hole and into the restaurant.   
  
She spotted Orion immediately; he was standing at the counter, his long, dark hair trailing down his muscular back. He shifted in his seat and she saw his muscles ripple. Gen had a sudden urge to take him into the bathroom for a while and she bit her ruby red lips at the delicious thought.   
  
Instead she walked over to where he sat, talking to a sagging old waitress who looked like she had spent a sleepless night. As Gen caught the tail end of her story, she guessed she probably had.   
  
"He just crashed through the door and glass went flying. He landed on this kid. I thought they were both dead for a second, but then somethin' strange happened. I'm tellin' ya, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself. That kid changed into a...thing. I don't know what it was, but he wasn't human." The waitress said in a conspiratorial tone, leaning towards Orion. "He just shoved that trucker off him like he was a sack of taters. That kid wasn't no bigger than me and I know he couldn't have done it if he weren't some kind of monster. Then he just growled and took off."   
  
"So this kid, what did he look like? When he changed." Orion asked, intrigued.   
  
"Well, his eyes changed. Went all black and pupiless like and he had hair all over him. I'm telling you, it was scary. He nearly killed us all." The woman said, shaking her head fervently.   
  
"And the girl? What happened to her?" Orion prompted her.   
  
"I don't know. We was all too concerned with that kid to notice where she took herself off too." The waitress told him apologetically. "If you want to know more, why don't you talk to Butch? He's the one who gave her a ride." The waitress said, gesturing to a huge, gray-bearded man. He had bruises and cuts all over him.   
  
"Thank you." With that, Orion walked over to him and Gen followed, lighting up a cigarette. It didn't take Orion long to coax the story out of the grizzled truck driver; the man was still red hot with anger. Orion smiled. This could work to their advantage.   
  
He leaned over and whispered to Gen, who grinned evilly at his suggestion.   
  
"Butch, could you show me your semi? I just love the big rigs." She said, batting her eyelashes at him.   
  
"Sure thing, Miss." Butch said eagerly, standing up and leading her to the broken door. Together, they walked out into the night.   
  
Orion followed behind them, keeping an eye out.   
  
******  
  
Gen closed the trunk, still wondering what this all meant. She looked around at the morning gloom and saw the others. To Gen's surprise, Pedro was still crouched in the dirt, smelling the blood stained rock with a look of pure bliss on his face. It creeped her out.   
  
"Orion? That kid she was talking about, he wasn't a vampire was he?" Gen asked him, chewing on her lip in thought. She tasted blood there and licked it off.   
  
"No." Orion answered and didn't elaborate. It annoyed her; she wasn't used to him ignoring her.   
  
"Follow me." Orion called and hopped into the car. They all leapt into the car and he drove them a few miles up the road.   
  
When he stopped beside a small shack, she knew what he was doing. Dawn was approaching and they had to find shelter. Gen got out of the car and stared at the little shack in disgust. Orion saw her look and his hard expression softened.   
  
"This is all we have Gen. Get in or fry." He said shortly, walking over to her and chucking her under the chin.   
  
"We never hole up anywhere nice anymore." She pouted, moving her hips in that way he liked. She saw the heat flash in his eyes and she licked her lips.   
  
"I promise, next time we'll get a motel." Orion said and wrapped his hands around her waist. His large hands traced her back, over the huge tattoos there. His lips traced the line of her jaw and she nipped his ear with her teeth as his hand trailed up and down her spine and dipped into the back of her shorts.   
  
Beltram went back to studying the Book and Pedro was still sniffing his rock. Only Remy refused to look away as he grinned at their antics. Gen didn't mind; she liked an audience, but when she started to turn the fun into something more, Orion grabbed her hands, forcing them back upward.   
  
"Later sweets." Orion whispered in her ear, making shivers run down her back. He turned to the others. "Alright. Inside. Sun's coming up." He said, motioning them inside with a twist of his head.   
  
"What'll we do with him?" Remy asked, gesturing towards the trunk.   
  
"He'll be fine. We won't need him until tonight anyway. Besides, I have interesting news." He said, a nasty smile on his lips. Gen wanted to bite them.   
  
"What's the news 'Rion? Was the girl there or not, cuz Pedro went all bloodhound and sniffed her out." Remy said, gesturing towards Pedro, who was still sniffing the rock like it was cocaine.   
  
"Oh she was there, but she wasn't alone." Orion said. Gen perked up, knowing he was talking about the kid. She was eager to hear what Orion thought he was. Even Beltram pulled his nose out of the Book to hear what Orion had to say.   
  
"She's got a werewolf with her." Orion told them. Gen could see it was highly amusing to him. She didn't know why; in her opinion, a werewolf was much more dangerous than some would-be Slayer.   
  
"A werewolf? Fascinating." Bel said, pushing his glasses back up on his nose.   
  
"What are we going to do?" Gen asked him, squeezing his hand.   
  
"We're going to kill him of course." Orion said, his eyes faraway once again. Gen smiled and was reassured. Her baby always knew what to say to get her bloodlust up.   
  
"Hell yeah! I could go for a little werewolf ass kickin'!" Remy exclaimed, hopping up onto the back of the Bonneville. Orion laughed at him and gestured for them all to follow him into the shack. Behind her, she heard Remy say, "I wonder what a werewolf would look like as a vampire?"   
  
Even Beltram, the scholar, didn't have answer to that. But it made Orion think. 


	4. Chapter 3: Falling

Chapter Three: Falling  
  
Aren was aware that her shoulder was warm and that her neck was cramped. She shifted her position, trying to get more comfortable, but her neck screamed in pain as she moved and she grudgingly cracked one eyelid open. For a second, she couldn't tell where she was. All she could see was a gray dashboard that had CD's strewn all over it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement. That made her jump up.   
  
She sat up straight in the van seat, her velvety brown eyes huge. She couldn't remember where she was. Instinctively, she for a weapon, but stopped when the driver's side door swung open and Oz hopped inside.   
  
"Morning. Or late afternoon I should say." He said, holding out a Bladder Buster drink. She took it from him shyly and took a long swallow. Her mouth was parched and she heard her stomach rumble.   
  
She looked over at Oz who was watching her with a strange expression his face. She was suddenly aware of the fact that she was dirty and smelly and that she had dried blood on her face. Her hand went to her nose in a self-conscious effort to hide it from him.   
  
"There's a shower in the rest stop over there." Oz said, sensing what she was feeling. He handed her a bag and a towel. "Take this. It has everything you need in it."   
  
"Um. Thank you." She said as she reached into the back and grabbed her backpack. Then she opened the door and stepping outside into the sunshine and looking around at the rest stop. It was a typical rest stop; the kind families with annoying children stopped at to take a leak.   
  
That thought made her hurry even quicker to the showers. After a hasty, but thorough scrubbing, she was feeling like a human being again. She rifled through the bag Oz had handed her, looking for toothpaste. A bracelet fell out and landed on the floor.   
  
She picked it up and looked at the strange charm. It had what looked like ancient runes etched onto the surface of different colored beads. From her knowledge, it looked like it was religious or magical. Frowning, she placed it back into Oz's bag. She had the sudden feeling that she had been prying into his personal business.   
  
Looking back into the mirror, she saw that she had a black eye and several cuts on her face, but it wasn't bad. Her leg still ached, but it wasn't as bad as it looked. She dumped her backpack out on the counter and searched for some clean clothes. Almost everything she owned was dirty and smelly. She wrinkled her nose at a pair of socks that had been in the bottom of her pack for at least two weeks. She found a pair of panties that were clean, by some divine miracle, but was at a loss for anything else. Finally, she found the one article of clothing that wasn't ripe.   
  
Grudgingly, she slipped the yellow sundress over her head and shimmied it over her thighs. The soft cotton felt good on her clean skin, but still it made her uncomfortable. She wasn't used to wearing dresses.   
  
She looked up at the clock on the wall and noticed that she had kept Oz waiting nearly a hafl an hour. Hastily she rammed her belongings back into her bag and ran out of the showers.   
  
Looking around, she thought for a second that he had left her there. Disappointment settled over her until she spotted the huge blue van in the parking lot. She wondered why she was so relieved that he had stayed.   
  
She jogged over to the van and hopped inside. She stopped in mid motion as she saw Oz. He was laying back against the seat, his eyes closed and his chest rising steadily. He was asleep.   
  
Aren cocked her head to the side and watched him sleeping. He looked exhausted and she guessed that he probably was. For all she knew, he had driven all night and half the day. She immediately felt bad.   
  
Aren looked him up and down. He had showered and changed since last night and he was wearing a t-shirt and a red bowling shirt over top of that. The angry cut on his face was still unbandaged and she again felt remorse.   
  
She had done that to him. She looked away from his peaceful face and glanced at his hands. What she saw there puzzled her. He was wearing a bracelet like the one she had seen in his bag. It was wrapped around his wrist and up over his fingers, like a rosary. She wondered if it was actually a rosary. Intrigued, she reached out her hand to get a closer look.   
  
Oz grabbed her wrist. She jumped and gasped.   
  
"What are you doing?" He asked, cracking open his eyes. For the first time, she noticed that they were a deep forest green.   
  
"Nothing. I just wanted to see your bracelet." Aren said, withdrawing her hand. He let go of her wrist and sat up.   
  
"Oh." Oz moved it away from her eyes and tucked it behind him. She raised her eyebrows a little at that.   
  
"So, have you had anything to eat already?" She asked, changing the subject.   
  
"No. I was waiting on you." Oz said, and with that, he started the van and they took off towards the little restaurant across the way. He couldn't stop staring at her tanned thighs or the soft cotton material that floated around them. He shook his head and looked quickly away.   
  
******  
  
  
Pedro looked up from his bloody rock and nodded to Orion who turned to the others.   
  
"She was here." He said simply.   
  
"And the werewolf?" Beltram prompted eagerly, pushing his glasses up his long nose.   
  
"Yes." Pedro answered, his rumbling voice so low they could all barely hear it. "Both their smells are strong here. They left just a few hours ago." He picked up the small knife he had found in the dirt and inhaled the scent on it deeply. It smelled like her; the vanilla fragrance wreathed around Pedro's senses and went straight to his head. It sent a delicious shiver of pleasure throughout his body and he smelled it again.   
  
"Do you think we'll catch em soon 'Rion?" Remy asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his baggy camo pants. He looked around at the deserted desert landscape, dark and foreboding in the early dawm light.   
  
"We'll have them; probably in a day or two. If our friend doesn't get them first." Orion said, a dangerous edge in his voice so hard it made Gen flinch. Then she smiled. Orion was bloodthirsty. So was she.   
  
******  
  
Aren took a bite of her burger and glanced around at the restaurant. Oz was in the bathroom and she felt oddly lonely without him sitting across from her. All around her, there were a few truckers and a couple of families. None of them looked over at the golden skinned girl in the corner. She was grateful for that.   
  
She took another bite and let her mind wander; she absent-mindedly plucked at the heavy amulet under her shirt. Her thoughts immediately went to Oz. She had been on the road with him for two days. A small smile quirked the corners of her mouth when she thought about last night.   
  
Oz had insisted that she sleep in the back, on the mattress. She had felt bad because he had to sleep in the front seat. Oz didn't complain and he had also graciously lent her some clothes while she washed hers at the truck stop laundry mat.   
  
Aren glanced up at the clock and saw that their clothes were probably dry; she was glad. Not that she didn't like Oz's taste in clothing; she just didn't think he'd appreciate the way she was stretching out the front of his t-shirt.   
  
Aren was surprised at his kindness; he bought her food, even though she had insisted on doing so herself. He never prompted her to talk when she was feeling moody and when she snapped at him, he told her off, which was something she could respect. His behavior reminded her of Willis.   
  
A lump rose in her throat as she thought about Willis, her Watcher. He had died because of her. She wished she could avenge him, but she couldn't. Willis had been right. She wasn't the Slayer, and never would be. She was just a scared little girl afraid of the dark, who just happened to know how to fight.   
  
That saddened her and she looked around at the restaurant once more. No one noticed her, and no one ever would. Then she saw Oz walking towards her. He caught her eye and smiled. Oz noticed her. She didn't know why that pleased her so much.   
  
Oz sat down in front of her and grabbed his burger. It was gone in three bites.   
  
"Hungry?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.   
  
"Always." He answered, taking a long swallow of his drink. He glanced down at his watch and then back at the clock on the wall. "Clothes are done. You ready?" He asked her, wiping his mouth on a napkin.   
  
"Yeah." She answered, "I'm sure you can't wait to get my out of these clothes." Aren immediately blushed and said, "Cuz I'm stretching it out, not...umm..." Her voice trailed off.   
  
"I know what you mean. But don't worry about the shirt. It's fine." Oz told her, blushing behind his ears. He glanced down at the shirt and realized she was stretching it out. That was fine with him.   
  
"Right. Let's go." Aren said, motioning towards the door. She looked up at the sky, noticing in the sun was going down. She shivered.   
  
Aren hated the dark. She was glad Oz was there.   
  
******  
  
Aren rolled over on the mattress and caught a glimpse of Oz's face around the corner of the front seat. His mouth was hanging open and he was drooling a little. She chuckled and winced as he snored lightly. She sat up and looked around for something to throw, her eyes lighting on a rolled up sock. She picked it up and smelled it; it was rank and dirty. She grinned evilly.   
  
Aren sat up and took aim. The sock smacked Oz in the forehead and rolled down into his lap. He didn't move.   
  
He snored again and she groaned inwardly. Moving as quiet as a cat, she crawled across the floor, reaching for the sock and closing her hand around it. She picked it up and stuffed it into his open mouth. Immediately he sputtered and spit it out, his eyes flying open and he looked around, confused. Then he saw Aren and the sock.   
  
He grabbed it out of his lap and lunged for her. She dived into the backseat, laughing. He caught her and turned her around, pinning her to the floor. She was too busy laughing to close her mouth.   
  
Oz stuffed the dirty sock into her mouth with a grin. "Good morning." He said as she spat it out.   
  
******  
  
Oz yawned loudly and Aren smiled over at him. He was pleased to see that she was in a better mood. The last couple hours had seen a brooding, worried girl and Oz didn't like the implications of that.   
  
He had been on the road with her for three days and he had already gotten to know her pretty well. Under the tough exterior was a funny, shy person. Despite the bitch persona she wore for the public, inside he knew she was vulnerable and afraid. What she was afraid of, he couldn't guess and he was nervous about bringing it up again, for fear of building her walls back up. He wanted her to be comfortable with him because he liked her like he hadn't liked anyone since Willow. He hastily shoved her memory into the back of his mind. That was over and this was now.   
  
He looked over at her and he found himself smiling appreciatively at her body. He couldn't stop himself and he was pleased to see her smile back. He watched her, his mind running in those little cirlces he liked so much. Even though he had broken through her barriers, Oz had a feeling he didn't know her whole story. There was much she wouldn't tell him and for his part, there was much he wasn't telling her.   
  
She didn't know he was as werewolf. He had feeling that she would accept it, but he didn't want to break the easy comfort they had around each other. Still, he wondered about her. He knew she was half Native American and that she had grown up in Las Vegas and she was 20 years old.   
  
But that was all he knew, and that worried him. He had a feeling it had to do with the way she acted when the sun went down.   
  
She would get out a wicked little knife, twirl it around and stare off into the darkness like she expected it to bite back. It reminded of someone he knew. It was unsettling, but at the moment, he had other things to think about.   
  
Aren suddenly reached out a hand and touched his arm. It startled him out of his thoughts and he stared at her a moment. Then shivers of fire laced through his arm as she ran her fingers over his skin. When she touched his fingers, he closed his hand around hers.   
  
She sat up and Oz wondered what she was doing, until he saw her leaning in towards him, her lips parted. Oz wondered no longer.   
  
******  
  
Aren smiled as Oz yawned loudly. She ran a hand through her hair and stretched out her long legs, plunking them down on the dashboard. She noticed, not for the first time the way he stared at her legs. A warm feeling rushed up her spine and she let it rest there, savoring it like candy on her tongue.   
  
He glanced over at her and smiled, making the warmth grow. It circled down her spine and spun through her belly. She bit her lip and smiled back at him.   
  
Without thinking about it, she reached out a slender hand and touched his arm, tracing one of the half-healed cuts there. He looked startled at her touch, but didn't even blink an eye.   
  
Aren trailed her fingers down his arm and over his rough, callused fingers. He linked hands with her and his palm was dry and warm and heavy against hers.   
  
She sat up in her seat and leaned towards him, her heart thudding in her chest. He didn't stop her; instead he parted his lips and waited for her to reach him.   
  
Their lips grazed and then all hell broke loose. 


	5. Chapter 4: You're a WHAT?

Chapter Four: You're a WHAT?  
  
  
Butch wiped the blood away from his lips and shoved the dead hitchhiker away from him. The body slumped down on the seat and he grinned, his jagged teeth stained crimson. With a shake of his shaggy grey head, his face changed lost its bumpy ridges and his human face took over. With a grunt, Butch opened the passenger's side door and shoved the dead body out. He felt the semi rock as the wheels ground the bloodless corpse into the road.   
  
He thought about what he was supposed to be doing. He had to find that bitch that had stolen from him. Orion said so. Kill the girl and get the werewolf with her. He locked it into his mind and repeated the instructions like a mantra.   
  
His stomach rumbled and he realized he was still hungry. Looking around at the desert landscape, he didn't see any other prey and he frowned. A few minutes later, he saw the red taillights of a vehicle in front of him and he licked his lips, his face changing once more as his bloodlust took over.   
  
Butch slammed the gas petal down and sped towards the vehicle. His headlights bathed it in a bright white light and he saw it was a blue van. He rammed it from behind and hoped it would go off the road.   
  
Butch was very hungry.   
  
******  
  
Aren fell away from Oz, shocked, as the van was bumped from behind. It swerved on the road, careening towards the shoulder. Oz cursed and yanked on the wheel hard. The van righted itself, but was bumped from behind once more. This time Oz kept it on the road, his hands firmly on the wheel.   
  
"What the hell is going on?" Aren said, picking herself up off of the floorboard. She got back up into the seat and looked behind them.   
  
A huge white semi was right behind them, swallowing the road and speeding closer for another hit. Then Aren saw the driver.   
  
"Dammit, its Butch!" Aren swore, clenching her fists.   
  
Oz glanced over at her and asked, "Butch?"   
  
"That trucker I beat the hell out of." She explained in an impatient voice.   
  
"I guess he's still pissed." Oz said, stepping on the gas petal. The van shot forward, but the semi behind them sped up.   
  
"You think?" Aren said, smacking Oz on the arm. She looked at the side view mirror and saw the semi closing in for another bump.   
  
"So what are we going to do?" Oz asked her, swerving on the road.   
  
"Okay...just keep going, and try to keep the wheel steady." Aren told him, climbing into the back. She opened her huge backpack and dumped the contents out on the mattress. Weapons of all sorts fell out and scattered over the floor. Oz glanced into the back and his eyes widened.   
  
"Jesus! Where did you get all that?" He asked, incredulous.   
  
"My Watcher gave them to me." She said simply, picking up a small hand held crossbow. She knocked an arrow into the slot and crawled over to the back doors.   
  
"Your Watcher? What the hell?" Oz exclaimed, several facts slipping into place. Then fear clenched his heart. Buffy. What if she was dead? His mind raced in little circles and then he realized that Aren didn't possess Slayer strength, so she couldn't be the Slayer. So what was going on?   
  
Glancing back at Aren, he realized he had other things to think about. She flung the back doors open and stood, leaning out the door, one hand on the ceiling, bracing herself. She pointed the crossbow, not at the driver, but at the wheels of the semi. Oz braced himself as the semi surged forward.   
  
Aren clenched her teeth and shot the arrow at the tires, hoping her aim was true. The arrow flew through the air and imbedded in the front tire of the semi. Immediately the semi started swerving dangerously over the road, but it kept going. The headlights flashed all over the road, looking like a strobe light. She knocked another arrow and let it fly. It missed. She immediately shot another one; it flew to the side as the semi swerved, burying itself in the side of the truck.   
  
Aren couldn't see the trickle of gas that leaked from the arrow hole. The semi roared onward, unimpeded by her small arrows.  
  
"Dammit. I need closer. Oz, slow down!" Aren yelled back at him, reaching down for a small handheld ax.   
  
Oz immediately slowed down. He looked in the rearview mirror and his green eyes widened. He could see Aren silhouetted in the headlights of the semi, bracing herself against the impact of the truck as it surged forward.   
  
Butch hit the back of the van again and Aren jumped with all her might onto the hood.   
  
"Oh shit!" Oz yelled, struggling to keep the wheel steady. He tried looking into the rearview mirror at Aren, but the headlights blinded him. He swung the driver's door open and looked out behind him. Still, he couldn't see Aren. Fear pounded in his chest and he prayed that she had made it.   
  
******  
  
Meanwhile, Aren was having problems of her own. She had made it to the semi's hood and was barely holding on, the ax still clutched in her hand. She struggled to pull herself up and her foot found the edge of the bug shield; she braced her foot on it and shoved upwards. Soon she was safe, or at least as safe as a person on a semi's hood can get.   
  
Suddenly she felt the semi swerving under her and her grip loosened. Aren looked up at Butch, his face just inches from the windshield. When she saw his eyes, she nearly screamed.   
  
Butch's vampire face was leering at her, his gray beard smeared with old blood, his hard yellow eyes glaring at her. He licked his lips and she saw his sharp teeth flash.   
  
"Oh god....they've found me." She groaned, fear making a leaden knot in her chest. For a moment, she nearly gave into the fear. Then Butch flipped her off.  
  
"Alright. That's it. I've had enough of your shit Butch." Aren growled at him, knowing he couldn't hear it.   
  
Aren shoved on the bug shield all she could, propelling herself forward. She grabbed the windshield wipers and tugged herself to the side. Her feet swung off the edge of the hood and she lunged for the side view mirror. Her fingers found it and she swung out, the road flashing below her. Gritting her teeth, she held on with one hand and struggled blindly for the step on the side of the door. Her foot touched it and she immediately stepped down onto it. Her shoulder ached now and she had a feeling it was wrenched, but she didn't care. She had a vampire to kill.   
  
Butch yanked the wheel to the side, hoping to dislodge her, but she held on with tooth and nail. She brought the ax up and slammed it down on the window. The glass didn't shatter.   
  
Butch laughed at her and that made her mad. She slammed the ax back down on the glass. This time it shattered.   
  
Glass exploded inward; Butch was so surprised he didn't even block it. His face was cut to ribbons, the shards buried in his flesh. The truck swerved as Butch's hands left the huge wheel. Aren fought to keep a hold of the side, her body falling backwards. She barely held on.   
  
Butch grabbed for the wheel again and snarled over at her, his eyes flashing. Aren swung the ax at him again; he ducked and yanked the wheel, trying to dislodge her.   
  
Aren could see that this wasn't working, so she grabbed the handle of the door and gripped hard on it. She swung the door open and went with it. She hung over the road, the muscles in her arms threatening to give up on her as Butch reached for the door. He tried to close it, but it was too far away.   
  
Aren laced her hand around the jagged window, a few shards digging into her arm. She ignored the pain and kicked off from the door. Her body swung around the edge of the door and her feet connected with the ledge on under the door again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of blue and she wondered what Oz was doing.   
  
Butch punched her in the face before she could move out of the way and she reeled backwards. The shock made her lose her grip on her ax and it fell to the road. It was gone in an instant and she was weaponless.   
  
She made a fist and punched vampire Butch in his face. He wasn't fazed, only annoyed. Then she grabbed for the wheel and they struggled for control over the truck. The semi swerved dangerously over the road and Aren struggled to hold on.   
  
******  
  
Oz saw Aren swing out over the side of the truck and he marveled at her athletism. He was intensely relieved to see she not had fallen to the road. He watched her struggling to get at Butch and he wondered why she was going after him like she was. She looked like she wanted to kill him.   
  
Oz thought, :Butch might not be such a good guy, but I don't think we need to kill him.: He quickly came up with a plan.   
  
Oz let off the gas petal and reached behind him quickly. His fingers found Aren's forgotten crossbow and one of her arrows; just what he needed. He put the arrow on the bow and leaned out the door again. He saw Aren smash the glass of the side window with her ax. Oz knew he had to hurry.   
  
He turned his attention back to the wheel and started maneuvering the van to the shoulder of the road. His headlights cut through the darkness as he made his way. The semi slowly moved to his side and Oz saw Aren swinging around the side of the door. He saw Butch's fist as it connected with her face and he winced. She almost fell and his heart lurched.   
  
Then Oz saw Butch's face. "Vampire." Oz muttered and swore. He knew now what Aren was doing and put down the crossbow, his plans forgotten. Then Aren dropped the ax. He knew she was weaponless.   
  
Oz saw Aren struggling to get a hold of the wheel and the semi started to swerve all over the road. Oz reached for the crossbow again and aimed it at Butch through the open window of the van. He prayed that he wouldn't hit Aren and he pulled the trigger.   
  
******  
  
Aren started to grab for Butch, but something told her to stop. She did and held stock still as the semi swerved under her. She felt a whoosh of air graze her cheek and then she heard Butch gasp in pain. She looked down and saw a wooden arrow buried in Butch's chest. She glanced quickly over at Oz, who was driving alongside them, then back at Butch. He slumped down on the steering wheel in pain, but he didn't turn to dust. The arrow had missed the heart.   
  
"Aren!" Oz screamed at her. Her attention snapped to him. He was leaning down, looking up at her from the van. "Jump!" He yelled, swinging the passenger's side open. Aren glanced back over at Butch, but he was too busy trying to pull the arrow out of his chest. Meanwhile, the semi was still swerving dangerously on the road. Aren felt it tip to the side and took a deep breath.   
  
She steadied herself and jumped.   
  
Aren hit the top of the van and she scrambled for a handhold; her fingers finding the ridges where the luggage rack had been. She held on as the wind rushed by her, gasping for breath. Suddenly the van screeched to a halt and she rolled forward, her backside sliding down the windshield. Aren looked gratefully up at Oz and she saw him smile at her from behind the driver's seat. Then his gaze flickered over to the semi.   
  
It was still careening down the road, tipping dangerously to the side. Then it hit a telephone pole and tipped all the way. Oz and Aren watched as it slammed down on its side, taking the telephone pole with it. The electric wires all snapped as it fell and they hit the semi. The unseen gas leak exploded as a live wire found the tank. The entire semi went up in flames before their eyes.   
  
"Whoa." Oz said simply, stepping out of the van. He was obviously impressed by the light show. "The perfect ending to your typical chase scene."   
  
Aren actually laughed, despite the pain she was in. "Yeah, where's Van Damme when you need him?" She joked, smiling at him. Oz chuckled and grinned at her.   
  
Oz took her by the hand and helped her off of the hood, his hands resting comfortably on her waist, his face inches from hers. Aren took a deep breath as he leaned towards her and smiled a bit, his features bathed in the glow of the fire. She parted her lips and closed her eyes, her heart still racing. Again their lips grazed.   
  
A fist connected with the back of Aren's head before she could blink. She slumped to the ground, pain exploding through her skull.   
  
Oz looked up to see Butch standing there, his face livid with anger. His flesh was slashed and bleeding, the skin charred and blackened. Butch sneered at Aren, who was on the ground, clutching her head.   
  
"You're the werewolf. Orion wants you. Come with me." Butch said, sniffing the air, his voice low and dangerous, a growl escaping his lips. He reached for Oz, but he sidestepped him.   
  
"Orion? Sorry, but I don't accept candy from strangers." Oz pulled back his fist and smashed it into Butch's face. The black tissue crackled under his fist and blood spurted from various wounds. Butch growled at him and laughed low in his throat as Oz winced from the pain in his fist.   
  
Suddenly, he swung at Oz, but he blocked it with his forearm. Butch grabbed the wolfsbane charm on his wrist and broke it off, shoving Oz back against the van. Butch stumbled forward, but Aren tripped him and he fell to the asphalt. She climbed shakily to her feet and kicked Butch in the ribs.   
  
Oz swung the side door open and started to reach for a weapon, but Butch grabbed his leg, pulling him away from the van. Aren kicked him again and Butch threw her off. He climbed to his feet and growled at them, spittle flying from his lips.   
  
Butch grabbed for Aren and bared his fangs at her. Oz stepped between the two of them and Butch, enraged, slammed his massive fist down on his skull. He threw Oz to the side and moved back towards Aren.   
  
Aren struggled to see through a haze of pain. Her breath was heaving and she was aching all over. Her shoulder hurt where she had wrenched it and she had bruises and cuts everywhere. As Butch punched her in the face again, she fell to the ground and she knew she wouldn't get back up again.   
  
Butch hauled her up and went to sink his fangs into her neck. She struggled, but couldn't get away.   
  
Oz's vision cleared and looked up to see Butch holding Aren. His heart sunk and then anger replaced the fear. Oz heard himself growl deep in his throat and then he felt himself change. He knew he was turning, letting the wolf out. He didn't care. Aren needed help.   
  
Aren opened her eyes for a second and saw Butch leaning in, his lips smeared with her blood. She saw him open his mouth wide and knew he was going to tear her throat out. She braced herself for it and watched in horrid fascination.   
  
Instead, Butch's head swung forward off of his shoulders and fell to the ground. A split second later, his head and his body turned to dust. Where Butch had been, she could see Oz standing there, growling ferally. Her eyes widened at the sight of him.   
  
Oz was covered in fur; his eyes pitch black, and his teeth sharp and long. He was growling like an animal and he looked at her hungrily. Oz took a step towards her and reached out with one clawed hand.   
  
Aren panicked and scooted away from him, still unable to stand. Fear seized her chest as she saw Oz move towards her again.   
  
"Oz? What's wrong with you?" She said, choking out the words, one hand pressed to the small wound on the joint of her shoulder.   
  
Oz dropped to all fours and glared at her, his black eyes changing to a hard yellow color. It reminded her of a vampire. Then she remembered what Butch had said. He had called Oz a werewolf.   
  
"Oz? Oh god, don't hurt me." She whispered, trying to stand. Her shoulder screamed in protest and she collapsed down on the ground. She was too weak to even crawl away.   
  
Oz-wolf saw her weakness and leapt on her. She whimpered as she felt his body on top of hers. His hot breath was on her neck before she could move and she closed her eyes. She couldn't believe this was happening.   
  
Suddenly, Oz rolled off of her and she opened her eyes.   
  
Aren looked over at him and saw that his face was back to normal. He was a human again. Oz looked up, tears forming in his eyes. Sweat was beading his brow and he was breathing hard.   
  
"Help me." Oz whispered and she caught the rough sound of the wolf deep down inside of him. He was struggling to hold it in.   
  
"How?" Aren asked, still afraid of him.   
  
"My bag. It's a bracelet. Strange stones." Oz gasped out, gritting his teeth against the change. The image of the strange rosary beads on his wrist and the ones she found in his bag flashed through her mind.   
  
She crawled over to the open van door; Oz watched her go. She whimpered when he growled suddenly. She hauled herself up into the van and rummaged around for his bag. She found it easily and dumped it out on the floor. She rummaged frantically through the mess.   
  
Finally she found one of the bracelets and crawled back out of the van. She crouched before Oz and handed it to him. He snatched it from her hands and quickly wrapped the strange rosary around his fingers and hand.   
  
The change in him was almost immediate. He stopped struggling against himself and took a deep breath. He shuddered and bit his lip, making it bleed.   
  
"What's wrong with you?" Aren said, still afraid of him. Oz struggled to his feet and reached out a hand to help her up. She shrank away from him. Aren avoided the hurt look in his eyes. "What's wrong with you?" She repeated, her voice growing stronger.   
  
"I'm a werewolf." He said simply, turning his gaze to the sky.   
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Aren demanded, standing up. She swayed a little on her feet, but managed to stand. Now that her fear was gone, she was getting stronger. .   
  
"I don't know." Oz said quietly.   
  
"Oh I guess I'd find out the next full moon when you changed and ate me!" She said angrily, backing away from him.   
  
"That wouldn't happen." Oz said, his large eyes wide as he held out his hands to her.   
  
"Funny, cuz it almost did, junior!" She exclaimed.   
  
"But I stopped it." Oz insisted, moving towards her. Again she backed off.   
  
"This time, but what about next time? Huh?" Aren looked at him, hurt. "I can't believe you would keep something like that from me! I thought...I thought that you and I.." Her voice trailed off. She couldn't make herself finish.   
  
"That's a pot calling the kettle black, Lauren." Oz said, angry now as his guilt returned four fold.   
  
"What?" She asked, confused.   
  
"Never mind." Oz said, shaking his head. Now was not the time to bring up the Slayer business.   
  
Aren looked at him, still seething with anger. She moved towards the van, careful to avoid coming close to him. She grabbed her backpack and scooped all the weapons back into the pouches. Quickly she zipped it up and turned around. She turned and saw Oz staring at her.   
  
"What are you doing?" He said, tilting his head to the side.   
  
"I'm leaving." She said shortly, hissing at him.   
  
"Why?" Oz asked her, taking a step forward.   
  
"Because I don't want to be around you. You're dangerous." Aren told him bravely, still swaying with the effort to stand. She didn't know how much longer she could stay on her feet, but she had to try.   
  
"No. I'm not. The wolf inside of me is dangerous. I can control it; I AM controlling it. Please understand." He insisted, his hands in fists as he struggled to say what he wanted.   
  
"Understand? Oz you're a werewolf! You nearly killed me! How am I supposed to understand that?"   
  
"I didn't kill you. I would never. Please, don't go." He said fiercely, walking towards her before she could move. "Please don't leave me."  
  
"Stop." She said quietly, fear in her heart.   
  
"No." Oz said in a hushed voice. He grabbed her, tangling his fingers in her hair and tilting her head up. He brought his lips to hers and kissed her fiercely; she kissed him back just as hard.   
  
"Don't change the subject!" She said, breaking away from him suddenly. "We're having a coherent argument here!"   
  
"Whatever." Oz muttered and kissed her again. He felt her hands tickling the back of his neck and he pressed his body closer to hers.   
  
Aren dropped her backpack and ran her fingers through his spiky red hair. She felt Oz moving against her, backing her up against the van. She let him, clinging to him with her nails. The pain in her arms and the little wound at her neck was forgotten as she lost herself in him.   
  
Oz pushed her up against the van, his mouth leaving hers. He trailed his lips over her cheek, grazing the line of her jaw. He breathed in her scent and licked the flesh of her neck, tasting salty sweet sweat on his tongue. He felt Aren shiver against him.   
  
Moving his lips back to hers, he kissed her hungrily. Aren ran her fingers down his back and slipped her hands under his shirt. She caressed the muscles there and felt him move against her hands. She broke away from him and pulled the shirt over his head. He threw into the van and grabbed her again.   
  
She raked her nails over his chest and kissed his skin. Oz kissed her neck and slipped his hands under her shirt. She slapped his hands playfully and grinned up at him; he smiled a little and wrapped his arms around her waist.   
  
"I thought you were afraid of me?" He asked her, nuzzling her neck once more, wiping away the blood on her neck with his fingertips.  
  
"I am; I'm terrified." She said breathlessly, pulling him roughly to her.   
  
Aren licked Oz's lips, slipping her tongue inside his inviting mouth. He pressed his lips eagerly to hers, but she broke it off and shoved him towards the open van door. He hit the edge and sat down, a little shocked at the change in her. She knew what she wanted and Oz had no problems with letting her have it.  
  
Aren pushed him back into the van and climbed in after him. She kissed him again and then threw off her shirt. She looked down at him and watched a smile spread over his features. They reached for each other at the same time. 


	6. Chapter 5: The Vampires

Chapter Five: The Vampires  
  
Pedro inhaled the girls' fragrance from the bloody rock and the knife and then he picked up the pair of forgotten panties he had found at the laundry mat. His eyes rolled back in his head as the scent went to his heart.   
  
Beside him, Beltram was giving him a strange look. Pedro glanced up from his possessions and glared at him. Bel was walking on thin ice and he immediately looked away and went back to reading his books. That's all he ever did. Pedro wondered how Bel could be so stupid after all the knowledge he had. It sickened him.   
  
Pedro glanced around for Remy and nearly smiled when he saw the green-haired punk straddling the concierge, moving the man's limp arms like a macabre marionette. Pedro liked Remy; he was sick enough to be amusing and he had enough common sense to shut his mouth when he needed to.   
  
Remy dipped his bloody face into the gaping wound at the man's neck, tearing at the tender muscles. The body moved slightly and Pedro realized that the man was still alive. Pedro licked his lips in pleasure as he watched Remy torture the man.   
  
In his mind he imagined it was himself doing that to the Slayer-in-Waiting. He could almost taste her blood on his tongue and he swore he could hear her scream is name in terror and pleasure. Pedro vamped unexpectedly, and shuddered with longing.   
  
He had wanted the girl from the moment he saw her. The image of the arch of her golden neck drove him crazy and he couldn't stop thinking about the dip between her breasts. He knew he was obsessed and he reveled in it. The girl would be his and he would make her scream.   
  
Watching Remy defile the man was too much; Pedro dove at the prone victim on the floor. Together he and Remy ripped the man in half and bathed in his blood. Soon, even Beltram was possessed with the bloodlust and joined in.   
  
Pedro imagined it was the girl as he tore at the body. He nearly howled with pleasure.   
  
******  
  
Gen rolled off of Orion and sighed. Beside her, Orion lit a cigarette and took a long drag, filling his dead lungs with the smoke. He exhaled and stared up at the blue-gray smoke as it drifted towards the ceiling. Gen got the cigarette from him and took a drag.   
  
"Orion, do you love me?" Gen asked suddenly, exhaling. She looked over at Orion. He smiled, the edges of his mouth curling up. She loved his dimples.   
  
"I'm not sure." He told her, looking away as he pushed the dead cleaning woman off of the bed. Her body hit the ground with a dull thud. Orion licked blood from the corner of his lip, savoring the taste. He looked back at Gen, who was pouting at him.   
  
"What do you mean, you're not sure?" Syn asked, hurt. She sat up, holding the sheets up against her bare chest. Orion sat up on his elbows and regarded her with an affectionate look.   
  
"I mean; I'm a vampire. I love blood, death, sex, blood, chaos and death. In that order." Orion said, "You, Gen, happen to do all those things very, very well."   
  
"I understand about that, 'Rion. But do you love ME and not the things I do?" Gen prompted, biting her lip.   
  
"I don't know if I can love anymore. I have no soul. But I do know I would be very, very unhappy without you. I'd kill for you. I'd die for you. If that's love, then yes, I do love you." Orion told her, taking the cigarette back from her. He took a sober drag and looked at her expectantly.   
  
"I love you, too." Gen said, relieved. She smiled and flipped her rusty red hair over her shoulder. She leaned down and kissed his cold lips passionately.   
  
"What was that all about?" Orion asked her when they broke apart.   
  
"Nothing. I'm just worried about you. You're obsessed with getting that girl." Gen said, resting her chin on her fist.   
  
"No I'm not." Orion said quietly, shifting position on the bed.   
  
"Yes you are. You want that damn amulet so bad you can taste it." She said, an accusing tone in her voice.   
  
"Gen, that amulet lets us all walk in the sun! Why shouldn't I want it? It's like the Gem of Amara, only not mythical. We could be the most powerful vampires on the face of the earth. We could rule the world." Orion said, his brown eyes flaming with passion. "We won't have to answer to Maurice anymore. We could take him down."   
  
"Maurice is good to us, 'Rion. He took care of you when that Tevlar demon beat the shit out of you." Gen pointed out.   
  
"He also set that Tevlar demon on me, if you recall. All I want is to be free of him. He may be my sire, but I refuse to let him rule me anymore. You should want that too." Orion told her, stubbing out his cigarette. He immediately lit another.   
  
"I do want that. I'm just worried about you is all." Gen said. She rolled over onto her stomach and traced a line down Orion's stomach.   
  
"Don't worry about me baby. As soon as we kill that Slayer bitch and turn her werewolf into a vampire, we'll head back to Las Vegas, okay?" Orion told her, shivering against her touch.   
  
"Promise?" Gen asked, dipping her head down. She kissed his stomach and traced a circle around his navel with her tongue.   
  
"Promise." Orion told her, catching her hand as she moved lower down his stomach. "Baby we don't have time for this. The sun's down and we'd better get going if we want to catch our prey." He said, sitting up.   
  
"You're right. Besides, I bet Pedro and Remy are ready to kill Beltram. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll actually do it." She joked, standing up and stretching. Orion watched her stretch, his eyes taking in her soft curves. Her body was covered in tattoos and scars from her days as a biker chick before he had vamped her. She tossed her hair and he caught sight of her firm breasts.   
  
Orion reached out and grabbed her by the waist, drawing her to him. He kissed her stomach and looked up at her lustfully.   
  
"You know what? I think we have time." He said, pulling her down onto the bed. "Besides, I bet our trucker friend has already found the little shits."   
  
******  
  
"Well shit." Remy said, picking at a scab on his arm. He glanced around at the rest and knew they were all thinking the same thing.   
  
Before them lay the charred remains of the semi. Butch was nowhere to be seen and Remy guessed that he was probably part of the dust on the road.   
  
"So what do we do now?" Beltram asked, leaning towards the front seat. "Huh, Orion?"   
  
"I don't know, Bel." Orion said in a frustrated voice. His nostrils flared with anger and his eyes flashed.   
  
"But you're the leader. You should know what to do." Bel insisted, his voice anxious. "Maurice would know what to do." He muttered under his breath.   
  
Orion turned in his seat and grabbed Beltram by his throat. Bel struggled to get away, but Orion held him tight. He squeezed hard, blocking Bel's windpipe. It didn't hurt him; after all, Beltram didn't breath.   
  
"Maurice will be cowering at my feet when I get the Jewel of Apollo. I will rip that Slayer bitch apart limb by limb, just like I did her Watcher and her mongrel will be my lap dog. Now shut up and sit back before I rip your heart out and feed it to Pedro." Orion growled at him, his face changing as he spoke. Bel quivered before his vampire face. "Comprende, Beltram?"   
  
Bel couldn't talk, so he shook his head. Orion released him with a snarl and Beltram fell back against the seat, his hand clutched to his throat. Orion turned around his seat and slammed on the gas petal. The car shot forward and not even Gen dared speak. Orion was tired of this little cat and mouse game.   
  
:I'll have her soon.: Pedro thought in delight as he saw Orion fuming in the front seat. Soon.   
  
******  
  
Oz rubbed Aren's shoulders and inhaled her scent again; she smelled like honey and vanilla. He didn't want to forget it. Aren murmured a little but didn't move.   
  
"How come you didn't tell me you're a Slayer?" Oz asked her, his curiosity finally getting the better of him.   
  
"Because I'm not. I'm...or at least I was, a Slayer-in-Waiting. How did you know I'm a Slayer?" Aren asked, incredulous.   
  
"You said you had a Watcher. I did some simple math." Oz said dryly.   
  
"You know what a Watcher is?" She asked numbly. Not only was Oz a werewolf, but he also knew about Slayers and Watchers. Who was he?   
  
"Yeah." He answered, massaging her wrenched shoulder.   
  
"You never cease to amaze me, Oz." Aren said quietly.   
  
"So, are you going to tell me why you're on the run, or not?" Oz prompted, nudging her shoulder with his thumb.   
  
"Well...my Watcher is...he's dead. A gang of vampires killed him and now they're after me. After something I took from them. I really don't want to get into it." She said quietly, gulping down her fear and guilt.   
  
"Oh." Oz grunted, knowing she wouldn't say more and he left it at that. She grabbed his hand and pulled his chest against her back. She glanced at his watch and groaned.   
  
"We'd better get back on the road." She told him, tilting her face back to look in his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, we've stopped three times." Oz said as she let go of him. He blushed a little and pulled his pants on. He didn't bother with a shirt; it was too hot outside, and inside the van. He started it up as Aren pulled on her yellow dress. Oz smiled when he saw her slip it over her head. He loved that dress.   
  
She flopped down in the seat and stared at him. He knew what she was going to ask before she asked it. "So how do you about the Slayer?" She prompted him as she pulled her legs up, resting her chin on her knees.   
  
Oz smiled and said what he knew would knock her socks off.   
  
"I knew three of them." He said simply. To his delight, Aren was visibly shocked.   
  
******  
  
Luiso knocked on the heavy bronze doors excitedly. He heard a muffled reply and cautiously swung the thick door open. He stepped inside and hung his head, as he was expected to.   
  
"Raise your head Luiso. You have news?" Maurice asked him, placing his goblet of blood down on the ancient desk.   
  
"Yes, sire." Luiso responded, his gaze meeting Maurice's.   
  
"Well spit it out. I don't have all night. Have you found them?" Maurice asked impatiently, his dark eyes flashing. He clenched one knarled hand on the desk and took another sip of his blood.   
  
"Yes sire. They are in the desert not far from here." Luiso answered in a rushed voice.   
  
"And do they have the Jewel of Apollo?"   
  
"No, sire. The Slayer-in-Waiting has it. They follow her to get it." Luiso told him. "But that isn't all, they pursue her to get the Jewel and to get the werewolf with her. Orion believes that together, the werewolf and the Jewel will be enough to overthrow your power."   
  
"He does indeed?" Maurice said, his eyes sparkling with amusement and the corners of his mouth quirking up. "So he still believes in the power of the Jewel of Apollo? A pity that the Jewel is nothing more than a piece of gold."   
  
"The Jewel is a fake, sire? But why would you send Orion after it if it was fake?" Luiso asked densely.   
  
"To see where his loyalties lie. I believe I have my answer, Luiso." Maurice said darkly, sitting back in his chair. His eyes wandered around the room for a bit and then went back to Luiso's wide face. "The werewolf might be a problem. If he is successful in turning it, then the vampire/werewolf hybrid could be deadly."   
  
"What shall we do, sire?" Luiso asked, shifting his weight from foot to foot.   
  
"We get to the werewolf first. Then bring Orion and his little band of rebels to me. You know how I hate disloyalty, Luiso." Maurice told him, standing up. He walked over to Luiso and placed a hand on the huge cross-shaped scar on Luiso's arm.   
  
"I know sire." Luiso said, remembering all to well how Maurice hated disloyalty. "I will get the werewolf for you, but what of the Slayer-in-Waiting? She will be a problem."   
  
"The Slayer-in-Waiting? Kill her and leave her corpse for the vultures to pick clean. She won't be a problem after that." Maurice said, walking to the window. "Go now." Luiso immediately left the room.   
  
Maurice stood there, staring out at the bright Las Vegas strip. The blinding lights sparkled and danced before his eyes and Maurice smiled. He loved Las Vegas. "Such a dirty town." He whispered into the night.   
  
Five stories below him, Luiso and the rest of his lackeys piled into an armored truck and took off towards the desert. 


	7. Chapter 6: Showdown

Chapter Six: Showdown  
  
  
"So this guy, Orion, is after that thing? What is it?" Oz asked her, motioning towards the heavy gold amulet around Aren's neck. She glanced down at it and shrugged.   
  
"To be honest, I don't know. I only took it because the vampires wanted it. I staked one of them to get it, and now they're all after me. I'm thinking it's pretty important, or they wouldn't want it so bad." Aren told him, fingering the gold stone.   
  
"Ruby slippers." Oz muttered under his breath. Aren smiled; she understood his thinking completely. "So what are we going to do?"   
  
"I don't know. We can't outrun them forever. I know they can't be that far behind us now." Aren said, biting her lip in thought.   
  
"So we stop and fight." Oz said firmly.   
  
"What? We can't fight them! They're vampires, they'll kill us!" Aren argued, her eyes wide.   
  
"Aren, you're a Slayer-in-Waiting. If you had been Chosen, you'd be doing this right now. It's your job, your birthright; fighting vampires is what you do." Oz told her, surprised at her fear.   
  
"No its not. I'm too old to be Chosen if the Slayer dies. That's why I killed Willis. I couldn't handle it." She said, her eyes wild as she let out her hidden fear. Oz was slammed with waves of guilt as she finally broke down in front of him.  
  
"You didn't kill your Watcher. Orion and his gang did." He tried to comfort her, but she shook him off.  
  
"But I let my anger get the better of me. If I hadn't gone off the handle and decided I didn't need to be Chosen to kill vampires, he'd still be alive." Aren explained, head in her hands. "I attacked some random vampires in a cemetary and they beat the shit out of me, Oz. But I took the necklace and I ran back to Willis...."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And they followed me. They killed him in front of me and I ran away before they could kill me and get the necklace. I ran because even after ten years training to be the Slayer, I was nothing. I was just a scared little girl in way over her head."  
  
"That's not true. They haven't caught you yet and whatever this thing is, they want it badly. The Slayers I knew couldn't have done a better job. In my opinion, you're worthy enough to be Chosen." Oz told her, shaking her shoulders to tear her out of her guilt and fear.  
  
"No I'm not.I'm just a girl who can fight." Aren told him.   
  
"Exactly. You're a girl who can fight. And I'm a guy who can fight. It's a simple equation. We fight; they die. Poof. Problem over. Besides, I saw you beat the shit out of Butch, vampire and human. You can do this." Oz said simply, glancing over at her.   
  
"But you haven't seen these vampires. They're strong...they're vicious." Aren tried to argue.   
  
"Sounds like all the other vampires I've ever met." Oz mused out loud. "We can take these guys. We just need a plan."   
  
"And what would that be, Oh Great and Powerful?" Aren said dryly, wrapping her arms around her stomach.   
  
He didn't answer for a few minutes, and then he slowly layed out his plans.   
  
******  
  
Beltram sighed and closed his book. The wind was ripping at the pages and he could no longer see anyway; Remy had ripped the flashlight from his fingers. He tucked the leather-bound volume under his leg and glanced up towards the sky. The moon was nearly full and he smiled. The werewolf debate was laying heavily on his mind.   
  
For some reason, the whole idea was disturbing him. Secretly, he thought that Orion was going too far, but he would never say it out loud. And there were other things he wouldn't tell him. He raised one hand to his neck and fingered the dark bruises there. Not a word.   
  
In the driver's seat, Orion pressed his foot down harder on the gas petal, even though it was pushed to the floor as much as it would go. Nothing was stopping him now.   
  
Next to Beltram, Pedro was busy sniffing his little mementos. Beltram's nose crinkled as he saw the vampire actually lick the bloody rock. Beltram took a moment to wonder what Pedro would do when they caught up with the werewolf and the slayer. He smiled a little and thought he might like to watch if he did catch her.   
  
On his other side, Remy was playing with the flashlight. He turned to Beltram, the flashlight under his chin. "I'm the leprechaun!" He said, a ghoulish grin on his face. Beltram tried to snatch the light from his hands, but he jerked away. Bel sighed again and scowled.   
  
He glanced up front at Gen and saw her looking fearfully over at Orion. He understood exactly what she was thinking. Bel pushed his glasses back up his nose and watched Gen. If she was worried, then he should be too. There was badness up the road, and he couldn't shake the feeling that they were running right into a trap.  
  
*****  
  
Oz checked the crossbows and made sure they were all loaded; they were. He licked his lips and looked over at Aren. She was getting warmed up and he watched her kick into the air and stretch her muscles. He figured he should be doing that too, but that wasn't his style. He had other plans.   
  
He glanced down the road and saw that it was still pitch black. Nothing was coming, at least not to the naked eye. Oz sniffed the air. Something was coming, and it wasn't human. He cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders. Now he was ready. Let them come.   
  
Behind him, Aren stopped her kata and walked over to him. Oz felt her presence and wrapped an arm around her waist. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he smiled.   
  
"I won't let them leave you in the dark." Oz said quietly, knowing exactly what she was thinking. She kissed him and that was all the thanks Oz needed.   
  
Aren let go of him and walked back to where the van was parked next to the abandoned roadside gas station. She leaned against the rusted gas pump and schooled her expression into a mask of hatred.   
  
"Let them come." Oz said.   
  
*****  
  
Remy moved the flashlight out of Bel's reach once more and Bel smacked his forehead. That started an argument.   
  
"You are such a child! Who sired you, Adam Sandler? Grow up!" Beltram complained in his whiney, high voice.   
  
"I'm the leprechaun!" Remy said again, flashing Bel a nasty grin once more. Beltram yelled back and the argument got louder and louder until Gen turned around and grabbed the light from Remy's fingers. She threw it out of the car and sat back down in her seat.   
  
"Now look what you did!" Bel screamed at Remy, who was laughing hysterically. Beltram scowled at him and tried to yell over his laughter.   
  
"Shut up." Pedro said quietly, his slow rumble barely audible over the shouting. "Shut up!" He repeated to no avail. "SHUT UP!" He screamed over the two vampires. Immediately they got quiet.   
  
"What's the matter Pedro?" Orion asked him anxiously.   
  
"She's close. Hurry." Pedro said, his voice thick with excitement and desire. His eyes glistened. She was so close; he could smell her. She was afraid.   
  
Orion slammed on the gas and cut the headlights. The Jewel of Apollo was ahead. Bel gulped; danger was ahead.   
  
*****  
  
"There they are! Are you ready?" Oz shouted at her. Aren gulped as she looked up and nodded.   
  
"As ready as I'll ever be." She said shortly, picking up the nearest crossbow. She watched Oz pick up the other one and steady himself. She then turned her attention away from him and back towards the road. She couldn't see any lights, but she could hear the growling hum of an engine as it got closer.   
  
"Dear God give me the strength. For Willis. And for Oz." Aren whispered into the darkness.   
  
It seemed like she stood there for hours, listening to the car getting closer, her muscles quivering. She thought about Willis and Oz and the horrible things these vampires had made her do. She was going to kill them.   
  
Beside her Oz was sniffing the air, his keen green eyes stretching, trying to make out shapes in the darkness.   
  
"When I say so, aim for the car. The moon will illuminate it once it gets close enough. Got it?" Oz whispered to her. She nodded and gripped the crossbow harder.   
  
Suddenly, a black car shone brightly through the night, the moon above bathing it in an eerie silver light.   
  
"NOW!" Oz shouted. She immediately aimed her crossbow at the car as it barreled towards her. She pulled the trigger and let the arrow fly. She didn't wait to see where it went; immediately she grabbed another arrow and knocked it into place. She let it fly once again and saw it go through the windshield.   
  
****  
  
The first arrow sailed through the air and embedded itself in Orion's shoulder. He stared down numbly at it and growled. Pain laced through his arm and chest, but he didn't let off the gas. Ahead he could see the slayer and the werewolf standing in the middle of the road, crossbows raised. He punched the gas harder as his face contorted; he aimed right for them.   
  
Beltram tried to crouch down in the seat, but Remy pushed him upward. He looked up just in time to see an arrow shoot through the windshield and straight at him.   
  
Bel's eyes went wide as the arrow found his chest. He stared at his hands and watched in horrid fascination as they turned to dust. Then, he knew nothing.   
  
"Oh shit! They got Beltram!" Remy yelled up to Orion, who didn't seem to hear him. Remy peeked up over the top of the seat and saw him driving straight for the slayer and the werewolf. He gritted his teeth for the impact.   
  
****  
  
Aren let another arrow fly and realized she was out. Beside her, Oz was knocking his third arrow. He aimed it carefully and let it fly. He didn't see where it was going, but he was suddenly aware that the car was careening towards him.   
  
"Fuck!" He screamed as he dove out of the way, slamming into Aren as he went. They both hit the ground rolling, landing hard in the gravel and sand.   
  
The car crashed right into the old gas station, wood and glass flying everywhere. Oz covered his head, protecting his face from the debris; Aren did the same, her face ashen. Oz gritted his teeth as he felt a piece of glass slice his hand. He didn't dare look up; but he had to wonder what was happening.   
  
Inside the car, Pedro barely avoided being staked by a huge beam that fell down at him. It landed on the seat and ripped through the leather cushions. Another beam rained down onto the car, catching Remy on the head. Remy slumped forward, his head gashed open. Pedro paid him no attention; instead he struggled to get out of the car.   
  
Orion slammed on the brakes immediately and jumped out, his vamp face livid and cut in many places. He gripped the arrow in his chest, his hands slippery with his own blood. Gritting his teeth, he pulled it out and threw it on the ground with a clatter.   
  
Gen followed him moments later, the side of her face gushing blood from a wound on her temple. She ran after Orion as he charged out of the gas station.   
  
Pedro kicked at the beam closest to him, dislodging it. He moved it aside and jumped out of the car. Then he kicked at the wall and sent it crashing down to the ground. His senses caught the familiar scent of human blood and fear. When he caught her scent and he almost screamed with excitement. He ran past Orion and Gen towards the heady scent. Suddenly, he was stopped by a short kick to his chest. He looked down and his eyes flashed.   
  
Aren saw the cruel smile come to the huge dark vampire's lips and shivered in spite of herself. Then he reached for her and she ducked out of his reach. Bringing one fist upwards, she caught him in the chin, but it didn't faze him. He was going to be a hard one to beat; Aren took a deep breath and reminded herself: For Willis.   
  
Oz leapt out from behind one of the gas pumps, a stake clutched in his hands. He landed on Orion's back, but the big vampire threw him off with a shrug.   
  
"Okay..that's not going to work." He said as he landed in the gravel. Quickly he sized the two vampires up and saw that the red haired female was bleeding and weaving a little. She was the target; he would save the male for later.   
  
Oz jumped up, running past Aren as she kicked at the biggest vampire. He winced as he saw her get clocked in the face. The female vampire saw him coming and she growled and braced herself for him. The other male vampire growled and looked around, ignoring Oz. His eyes lighted on the van and he ran towards it.   
  
Oz paid him no attention as he kicked at the female. She blocked his leg and brought her fist up to his face. He avoided the impact, ducking out of the way as hee brought his stake up chest level with her and attempted to ram it home. She kicked his knee and sent him sprawling.   
  
"Why do they always go for my knees?" Oz muttered under his breath as he struggled to climb to his feet. The girl vamp advanced on him and kicked him in the rips. He winced, but gritted his teeth against the pain. He shot out his leg and tripped the girl, his foot tangling in her legs. She went down with a thud and he grabbed her by the hair, ripping her to her feet.   
  
Aren, meanwhile, was still trying to get the upper hand with the largest vampire. He clocked her again, that creepy smile still on his face. She was breathing heavily by now, her rips aching and her vision blurring. This vamp was too strong. He was going to win.   
  
Pedro smiled once more as he noticed that the girl was slowing down, her movements filled with pain. He licked his lips, thinking that he had caused her pain. That excited him and he reached for her. She sidestepped him, but her grabbed her hair, ripping it from the roots.   
  
He brought the hunk of silky raven hair to his face and inhaled its scent. Aren whimpered at the sight. She swung at him again, but he caught her arm and hauled her up against his chest.   
  
He buried his face in her hair and licked the sweaty skin of her neck.   
  
"Oh god." Aren whimpered, fear lacing around her heart. She looked around for Oz, but the big vampire wouldn't let her turn her head. She was trapped.   
  
At the van, Orion was desperately searching through the back. He threw aside weapons and a guitar case, but it still wasn't there. He screamed in anger and dove out of the van. He took in the scene and he screamed in frustration again.   
  
"WHERE IS IT?" Orion screamed, spittle flecking his lips. He glanced over at Pedro who was clutching the girl to him, his face buried in her hair. Then he saw Gen and he scowled. "Where is it werewolf? Tell me or she dies!" Orion screamed, motioning towards Pedro and Aren.   
  
"Let her go, or SHE dies!" Oz screamed back at Orion. He pushed the stake against Gen's chest harder, his fingers bruising her flesh. Gen grunted and struggled against him, but he held on tight.   
  
Orion thought for a moment, then a cruel smile crossed his twisted features. "Kill her." He said in a low growl. "Kill her. See if I care. I'll make another whore just like her. The Jewel is more important."   
  
Gen heard his words and her heart lurched. Tears came to her eyes and she choked out a cry. "Orion? But you said you loved me!" She said, her words thick with anguish.   
  
"I lied, Gennifer." Orion said, his lips twisting, his hard yellow eyes glimmering.   
  
"You. Bastard." Gen screeched at him. She surged forward, breaking Oz's grip on her. Oz stumbled and caught himself from falling as she wrenched the stake from his fingers. Gen ran straight at Orion, the stake outstretched, but he caught her arm as she came, twisting it backwards. For a moment, Oz thought that the wood had found her heart, but she only staggered and cried out with pain.   
  
The stake still deep within her chest, Orion threw Gen to the ground, where she rolled away from him and landed in a heap. He walked over to her and kicked her in the ribs, a cruel smile on his lips.   
  
Gen warded off his vicious attack with an upraised arm, but she couldn't stop the blow to her head. Blood streaked and broken, she crawled away from her former lover and sire, leaving a bloody trail in her wake. Orion smiled as he saw her disappear around the corner of the gas station.   
  
Oz grimaced at the scene. He felt Gen's anguish a little too well and he found a bit of sympathy for the nearly dusted vampire, but only a little bit.   
  
Orion looked back up, the glimmer of hatred still burning in his eyes. "Now give me the Jewel or your little whore gets it. NOW!" He screamed again.   
  
Oz glanced over at Aren who was still whimpering, the huge vampire named Pedro tracing his hands all over her body. Anger welled up in him at the sight of the vampire touching Aren. He wanted to kill him; he wanted to rip him apart. Oz was startled by his reaction and he glanced fearfully down at his wrist. The wolfsbane charm was gone.   
  
Oz looked back up and smiled, his teeth growing jagged and long. He felt the wolf growing within him, stirring like a cloud of angry spirits. He almost let it win. Then reality took hold.   
  
He could kill Aren and not realize it. He had to keep control. When he looked back up at Orion, he was completely human again and thinking clearly.   
  
"Let her go and you can take me, and the Jewel." He said clearly, his voice carrying over to the vamp. He dug his hand under his shirt and pulled out the heavy gold amulet, holding it up in his outstretched hands.   
  
"I would have taken you anyway, but now that I know you have it...PEDRO! Kill the girl!" Orion said as he dived at Oz. Oz braced himself and smiled as he felt the wolf stirring within him again. This time he let it go.   
  
*****  
  
Pedro's head snapped up when he heard Orion's shouted command. His hands stopped in their exploration and he brought them up to Aren's throat. He held her in place as he licked her neck, suckling on the golden skin there.   
  
"You are mine." Pedro whispered to her, her scent wreathing around him. She screamed in panic and fear as she felt his teeth pierce her skin and her blood well up into his mouth.   
  
"Oz. Help me." Aren whispered into the darkness.   
  
*****  
  
The wolf broke free in a heartbeat, the beast within Oz having been too long trapped in the flesh and bone of a man. It rose up, choking Oz and moving swiftly for its change. Now was its time and nothing would stop it.   
  
Orion dove at Oz, but he hesitated slightly as he saw the madness of the beast come to his eyes. In that moment of hesitation, the wolf struck. One clawed hand, almost changed, shot out, slicing Orion's face from eye to neck. Blood borrowed from someone else welled up, looking warm and inviting. The wolf growled deep within Oz's human throat; then the throat was human no longer. The wolf, the beast, had taken full control.   
  
Orion staggered backwards in pain and fear as the wolf threw off the last shred of Oz's clothing. He screamed in frustration and dived at the wolf, his jagged teeth bared. The Oz-wolf howled his challenge and circled the vampire, the heavy gold amulet glinting mockingly around his neck.   
  
They circled, sizing up each other, looking for weaknesses. The Oz-wolf saw everything the vampire did as a weakness. It had flesh like a human; it could be hurt. Time expanded within a single second, and then they leapt at each other.   
  
Orion went low, his teeth bared and ready to sink into the Oz-wolf's muzzle. He scored a hit, but the wolf clawed at the vampire's underbelly, feeling his sharp claws tear through the fragile flesh. Orion screamed in pain, but didn't let go of Oz's muzzle.   
  
One of Orion's teeth found Oz's tender muscles at the base of his jaw. He held on tight and clawed for Oz's eyes, hoping to blind him. In his fury, he didn't care if he killed the werewolf; he had to get the amulet.   
  
The Oz-wolf whimpered a little and kicked harder at the vampire's middle. He twisted around, using his limber body to pin the vampire to the ground. Orion was helpless to stop the downward momentum, as the wolf was much larger and stronger than he. Orion was now pinned on the ground; the wolf raised his shaggy head, his eyes glinting cruelly. With lightning quick speed, he lowered his muzzle to the vampire's neck and started to tear at the flesh.   
  
Suddenly, a shot rang out across the darkened road and moments later the Oz-wolf felt a sharp pain in his side. He fell off of the vampire, spittle, blood and gore flying from his black lips. He landed in the blood stained dirt with a jarring thud. Looking up he saw the outline of human forms standing just beyond his site.   
  
Looking past them, he could barely see another vampire feeding off a human girl. The sight of the girl stirred something deep within him, but as he spiraled down into the darkness, he could not make his animal mind lift the cloud of recognition. Soon he was swallowed in the darkness, and the wolf knew peace.   
  
******  
  
Aren nearly cried with anguish as she saw Oz change into the werewolf. There was no help for her now. The big vampire, Pedro, was going to kill her. Tears ran down her face and she didn't bother to stop them. She didn't want to be alone in the darkness; she was afraid of it.   
  
Anger welled up in her throat as she felt herself bleeding away onto Pedro's lips. She was angry with Oz; he had promised her that they wouldn't leave her in the darkness. He had lied. She was angry with herself for letting the vampire catch her so easily, and she was angry with God.   
  
She watched in horrid fascination as the Oz-wolf brought down the vampire named Orion easily. Then the shot rang out and she winced as Pedro pulled his fangs out of her neck. The pain was too much, and she slowly sank into the darkness.   
  
The scene of the night swallowed her whole and she could no longer feel anything. Not the pain, or the hurt and anger she felt for Oz's broken promise, or the frustration she felt at herself. The only thing left was herself, floating in the darkness and choking on her own screams. 


	8. Chapter 7: The Jewel of Apollo

Chapter Seven: The Jewel of Apollo  
  
  
Inside the car, Remy stirred. He moved his head and winced as pain exploded in his skull. With one one eye cracked open, he looked around at the wreckage inside the car. Bits of wood and blood were strewn everywhere. He took a deep breath and shifted his position, coughing on the dust inside the car. He smiled gruesomely as he thought that most of the dust was probably Beltram's remains.   
  
Slowly, Remy got out of the car, careful not to fall on any of the wooden beams and broken slats. He limped over to the jagged hole in the gas station and peeked out; his eyes widened at the sight before him. The werewolf was down on the ground, and so was the slayer girl. He looked around for Gen, but didn't see her; then he did see something interesting.   
  
Luiso was pointing a crossbow down at Orion, and Orion was staring in wide-eyed fear up at him. Behind Luiso, Remy could see the rest of Maurice's vampire lackeys, their game faces on. He cursed silently, but didn't make a move. From this distance, he could just make out what they were saying.   
  
"Maurice wants you, Orion. You know how he hates to be betrayed." Luiso said, the half-healed, cross-shaped scar shining in the light of the moon. Orion looked up at him, one hand pressed to the bloody wound on his throat.   
  
"But...I didn't betray him. I would never." Orion pleaded, eyeing the golden amulet around Oz's shaggy neck. Luiso caught his gaze and smiled, his teeth breaching his lips.   
  
"You wanted the Jewel of Apollo? Take it." Luiso said simply, his cold yellow eyes glinting.   
  
"I...I wanted it for Maurice. To give him more power." Orion lied, licking his bloody lips.   
  
"Of course. So take it and we'll bring it to our sire together." Luiso said coldly, eyeing the wounded vampire. "We'll bring him the werewolf too. I'm sure he'll be happy to have a hybrid in his service. He could be a great weapon against one's enemies. But I'll bet you didn't think about that. Did you Orion?" Luiso said, laying out Orion's plan before him.   
  
Orion gulped and nodded his head. Luiso held out a hand and helped the wounded vampire up.   
  
"Now lets go home and meet our master." Luiso said, shoving the crossbow into Orion's back. He looked back over his shoulder at Pedro and nodded towards one of his lackeys.   
  
Pedro was kneeling over the slayer girl, stroking her long dark hair. Remy smiled in the darkness of the shed; Pedro had finally gotten what he wanted. Suddenly, one of Luiso's minions placed a carefully aimed shot in Pedro's direction. It landed in his chest, burying itself to the fletching. Remy winced as Pedro turned to dust.   
  
"Sayonara Pedro." Remy said grimly into the night. He looked back over at Orion, who turned his head away from the scene. He gulped and sighed in defeat; there was nothing he could do now. As Luiso herded Orion towards the armored truck, he swooped down on Oz and broke the fake amulet from around his neck. Then two of his lackeys grabbed the wolf, shackled it, and threw it into the back of the truck.   
  
Remy watched as they tore away from the scene, leaving the dead slayer in the dust. As their taillights disappeared into the gloom, Remy walked out of the destroyed station and surveyed the scene. A little smile came to his lips.   
  
"Poor Orion is getting his, and Bel, Pedro and Gen have bitten the dust, literally. That just leaves little ol' Remy. Its good to be the king." Remy said into the darkness, laughing in a high-pitched squeal.   
  
"Not everyone is gone, dip shit." Gen said, spitting out blood into the dust. Remy whirled to see her braced against the gas station wall, blood streaming down her face.   
  
  
"Gen! Good to see you alive. See ya." Remy said, turning away. He started to walk toward the werewolf's van, but he turned back around when he heard the click of a crossbow being loaded.   
  
"Where are you going?" Gen asked him, raising the crossbow to chest level. Her arms shook under the weight of the bow, but she held it steady.   
  
"I don't know. How about away from here? I don't know about you, but I really don't want Maurice to know I'm still a dead man walking. Got me, Gennifer?" Remy said, flicking a strand of electric green hair out of his eyes.   
  
"Don't call me that. Only Orion can call me that, but he won't for long. Get in the van. We're going to Vegas." Gen said, gritting her teeth in anger. Orion was going to pay for what he did to her.   
  
"Vegas eh? Been there, done that." Remy started to say, but stopped when Gen shot the crossbow at him. He winced as the arrow embedded itself in his thigh. He looked up. "Vegas it is. Maybe we can catch one of the shows. I hear Roy is going solo these days."   
  
Remy pulled the arrow out and then limped toward the van, his leg on fire with pain. He stopped next to the body of the slayer and looked down at her ashen face. He blinked in confusion as he saw her chest rise and fall.   
  
"What do you want to do with her? She's still breathing." Remy asked Gen, looking up at her. Gen scowled, then thought.   
  
"Take her with us. She can help us, once the little bitch wakes up." Gen said, motioning towards Aren's limp form.   
  
"This is a bad idea." Remy said simply as he picked up the girl. Her head lolled back, showing the deep, ripping wound at her neck. Pedro had done a job on her; that was for sure.   
  
Remy slung the girl into the back of the van and slammed the sliding door closed. Gen was already in the passenger's seat, so he climbed behind the wheel. Surprisingly, the keys were in the ignition. The van rumbled to life and they were on the road, leaving the scene behind.  
  
******  
  
Slowly Oz became aware that he was cold and lying with his head at an odd angle. He shifted position and cracked one eyelid open. He could barely make out shiny steel bars and a rough cement floor. The sight of the bars made him sit up, fully aware.   
  
Looking all around him, he could see that he was in a small cage, with barely enough room for him to stand up in. Oz gulped and struggled to contain his panic. He hated cages.   
  
Oz stood up and walked over to the bars, struggling to see anything past the darkness. At first all he could see was a wall with strange cloaks hanging on it, and then is keen green eyes could barely make out the outline of a door. There was no one else around him.   
  
Oz sat back down on the cement floor, curling up on himself, to cover his nakedness. Something about this cell reminded him of the night he spent in the Initiative, naked and cold and scared to death. He felt that familiar feeling rising and he lost himself in it.   
  
He struggled to remember what had happened after he had changed. These days it was very easy for him to remember what he had done while changed. He could barely remember fighting with Orion and being shot with a tranquilizer gun. Then he remembered seeing Aren in the grip of that huge vampire.   
  
Oz's heart lurched. Aren was dead. He let Aren die. His mind raced and his heart sank. She was gone. Tears welled up in Oz's eyes as he thought about all the things he had never told her.   
  
"I'm so sorry Lauren, I didn't mean to leave you in the dark." Oz whispered into the echoing silence of the cell. Hot tears spilled onto his dirty cheeks; he didn't bother to wipe them away.  
  
******  
  
Aren floated in the darkness, her body, mind and spirit shrouded in a comforting blanket of warm numbness. There was nothing here, not even that light that was promised for the dead.   
  
Aren could see shapes, strange, frightening shapes moving in the darkness just beyond her senses. Somehow, she knew that they could not get to her, here in the space between life and death. The darkness surrounded her, and she stopped being afraid.   
  
"Aren." A familiar voice said; it echoed throughout the darkness, piercing her soul. She turned her head to see the cause of the voice and nearly wept with sorrow when she saw Willis floating just beyond the reach of her arms. The last gruesome image she had of him was gone. The Willis she knew and loved was standing before her.   
  
"Willis. Oh god. I thought you were dead." She wept, reaching out her arms to him. He glided forward and embraced her. His arms wrapped around her comfortingly, providing her with the shelter that she had had so many times in the past. She smiled against his soft wool sweater, finding that he still smelled like cigars and old books.   
  
"Lauren, my sweet little feather, I am dead." Willis said, his crisp British accent ringing in her ears. She looked up at him, tears spilling down her cheeks at his words. "Don't cry poppet, I'm in a wonderful place. But you, you seem to be trapped between the after. I've come to help you home."   
  
"But I want to go with you, Willis. Please, don't make me go back. There are things out there that want to hurt me." Aren pleaded with him, her voice small and childlike in the darkness.   
  
"Little feather, there will always be something waiting to hurt you. But you have an advantage on them, you know that they exist and you can stop them. Look how far you've come since I first met you. I don't care if you ever become the Slayer. I'm truly proud of you." Willis said, his eyes wet with tears.   
  
"Thank you, Willis." Aren said quietly.   
  
"You have to go now. Daniel is waiting for you." Willis said, taking Aren's hand in his own. A light flared to life at the end of the darkness, bathing Willis's black features in bluish haze.   
  
"Daniel?" Aren asked, confused.   
  
"You call him Oz. He is crying for you right now. Go to him and tell him what is in your heart." Willis said, releasing her from his hold.   
  
"He's alive? Where is he?" Aren asked him, her heart aching with the knowledge that Oz was still living.   
  
"In Maurice's stronghold. Go to him, little feather. When you wake, you will be with two very unlikely allies. Trust them, but be wary."   
  
"But Willis...I.." Aren started to protest, but he cut her off.   
  
"Goodbye Lauren. I love you." He said as he disappeared into the darkness.   
  
"Willis!" Aren cried as he left her. Then she felt herself sinking towards the light. At first it was slow, then the darkness rushed past her, and she went through the light so fast she was blinded by the speed. She opened her eyes and saw that she was rushing towards herself. She gasped as she slammed back down into her own body with the force of a thousand cannons.   
  
Aren gulped in a lungful of air and sat up straight in the back of Oz's van. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest that she thought it would rip through the skin. Her mind raced as she tried to orientate herself.   
  
Suddenly, a figure leapt over the driver's seat and landed on top of her.   
  
"Well, look who's awake." Remy said, smiling down at her cruelly.   
  
******  
  
Maurice laughed as he watched Orion squirming under the slow trickle of holy water. The droplets of water burned a path down his bare chest, scorching the flesh black. Luiso kicked Orion in the back as the vampire struggled to get out from under the torture device. Orion fell back down, defeated.   
  
"You know how I hate to be betrayed, Orion. Take it like a man." Maurice said, his evil eyes glinting with glee. Orion only whimpered.   
  
"Orion," Maurice continued, "Would you believe that you sacrificed everything for a legend? One that doesn't exist?" He mused, watching the vampire struggling against his bonds.   
  
"W-what do you mean?" Orion choked out as a drop of holy water sizzled its way down his chest.   
  
"What I mean, whelp, is that the Jewel of Apollo does not exist. I'm afraid I made it up." Maurice said, watching the anger flash in Orion's eyes. "Oh yes, I conjured it from my mind and sent you on a suicide mission for it. I knew you would see it as the only weapon you had against me. Once you had it, I had planned on killing you and letting you serve as an example for everyone else. Then that slayer bitch got involved." Maurice explained, rising from his padded chair and moving to Orion's side. "You still believed in the power of the amulet, so I let you chase it throughout the desert. You never made a move without my knowing. Beltram saw to that."   
"What? Beltram? That bastard." Orion growled in anger.   
  
"Oh yes, Beltram was a handy little spy. He told me everything; even about the werewolf you planned on making into a hybrid to come at me with. I'll admit, that is something even I would never have thought of. The werewolf is mine now. Come morning, he'll be the ultimate weapon and I have you to thank for that, Orion."   
  
"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" Orion said quietly, his eyes flashing with heat.   
  
"No. You're girlfriend is. In fact, I think she's here right now." Maurice said, standing up and turning around. He took a remote control out of his pocket and pointed it at the grid of television screens against the back wall. They flicked on immediately, each showing a different scene from Maurice's casino. Then all the images changed to form one picture. Gen was being lead by the slayer girl; Remy merely steps behind.   
  
"Ah, the bitch is still alive. And so is the slayer girl." Maurice mused out loud, his lips quirked with a slight smile.   
  
"Are they working together, sire?" Luiso asked in a hushed voice.   
  
"I do believe they are, my dear Luiso. How interesting." Maurice said, facing his progeny. "You'd best send the welcome wagon to meet them. I'd hate to seem rude to a guest." Maurice smiled back viciously at the black and white screen.   
  
*****  
  
Aren rammed the stake into the vampire's chest and watched as he turned to dust in front of her. Behind her, Gen was struggling with two vamp guards, and losing quickly. Aren ran over and dusted one from the back, evening out the fight a little. Gen shot her a nasty look; Aren ignored it.   
  
Remy was making short order of three guards, and doing a hell of a lot of damage. Aren had to give the punk props; he knew how to fight.   
  
A blow to the back of Aren's head suddenly sent her flying to the floor. She looked up in a haze of pain and saw a huge vampire standing before her. She grinned and kicked out her leg, tripping the vampire and sending him crashing down to the dust-strewn tiles before her. She raised her stake and was about to plunge it home when Gen grabbed her wrist.   
  
"What the hell are you doing?" Aren asked her, aware that the vampire might be changing her mind about working together.   
  
"Don't kill him. That's Luiso, Maurice's most trusted advisor. He probably knows where Orion is. And your werewolf." Gen explained, her exasperation plain on her face.   
  
"Oh." Was all Aren could say.   
  
Remy walked over to them, shaking dust out of his green hair. Together, he and Gen pulled Luiso to his feet, fighting the struggling vamp all the way.   
  
"All right dickhead, take me to Oz. Right now." Aren said, her voice edged with steel.   
  
"No. Take me to Orion." Gen said, gritting her teeth in anger. Aren glared at her, her hands itching to ram the stake home. She stopped herself in time, but just barely.   
  
"All right ladies. Here's the deal, you two go kill da boys. I'm gonna get the werewolf." Remy said, his bored voice taking on an air of superiority. "And don't argue," He said, giving Aren a hard look. "I'll get him free and we'll all meet up in Maurice's office."   
  
"I swear, if you hurt him, I'll kill you ten times over." Aren warned, her voice low.   
  
"Scouts honor." Remy said, a grin spreading over his face.   
  
"Come on. Let's get going." Gen said, pushing Luiso towards the direction of Maurice's office, the stake pushed in his back. Aren gave Remy one final glance backwards, and then followed the two vampires.   
  
Remy slapped his hands together and took off towards the lower part of the casino, knowing the most likely place for the werewolf to be. After all, he had spent plenty of time in the little dungeon cell below the building for his "bad behavior".   
  
Remy stalked the shadows and took out guard after guard on his way down. "You'd think this would be harder." He said to himself as he rounded the last corner. His eyes went wide as he counted the guards around the dungeon cell. "I can handle ten. I think." He said, gulping.   
  
*****  
  
Aren and Gen stopped at Maurice's door, pushing Luiso up against the wall.   
  
"Are you sure this is where he is?" Gen asked the vampire again. He nodded his head and scowled.   
  
"Okay then, just making sure." Aren said, and with that, she rammed the stake into his back. He turned to dust with a strangled scream.   
  
Gen turned to Aren and scowled. "Why the fuck did you do that?" She asked, her eyes flashing. She had had just about enough of this little slayer whelp.   
  
"I'm a slayer...sort of. That's what I do. I kill vampires; you should probably keep that in mind." Aren said, smiling nastily at Gen. Gen narrowed her eyes.   
  
"We have a deal, remember. I get Orion and you get to kill Maurice, then take off with your wolf. Don't YOU forget; I'm a vampire, I kill humans." Gen hissed through her jagged teeth.   
  
"I'm well aware. Now can we just get this over with? I'm going to miss SNL." Aren joked, her heart pounding. Gen partially smiled at her and nodded.   
  
Together they kicked down the door and ran into the room.   
  
"Welcome ladies." Maurice said, pointing a crossbow at Gen and aiming a gun at Aren. "You really should have knocked."   
  
*****  
  
Oz sat up straight in the cold cell, his ears perking to the sound of a scuffle on the other side of the heavy doors. The sound seemed to go on forever until at last there was silence.   
  
"And that's kicking you ass!" A loud voice on the other side of the door yelled. Oz furrowed his brow in puzzlement. What the hell was going on? Suddenly the door was flung open, and Oz squinted into the light.   
  
"Ahoy there matey. I've come to rescue you on behalf of the fair damsel slayer bitch lady." Remy said as he limped into the room, his face slashed, his hand to his ribs.   
  
"What?" Oz said, his throat dry. He squinted at the punky vampire, unable to comprehend what he was saying.   
  
"Never mind, puppy. Come on out of there." Remy said, unlocking the door with keys pilfered from one of the now dead guards. Oz stepped out of the cage and blushed slightly as he noticed he was naked. Remy rolled his eyes and threw him one of the heavy robes that were hanging on the wall. Oz pulled it on swiftly.   
  
"So who are you?" He asked, eyeing him suspiciously.   
  
"Your friendly neighborhood vampire." Remy said dryly, pulling a piece of wood out of his arm with barely a wince.   
  
"Vampire?" Oz asked, backing up a few steps.   
  
"Oh Christ, calm down. I'm not going to kill you. At least, not yet." Remy said, advancing on Oz. Before he could move, Remy had him by the throat. "You're my collateral for getting out of here alive. Come on puppy." He said, smiling, his face turning as he spoke.   
  
*****  
  
Aren backed up an involuntary step as she eyed the gun aimed at her chest. Gen growled at her master and shot him an evil look, but didn't move an inch.   
  
"Gen, my dear. I would never have expected this out of you. You were always so loyal." Maurice said, cocking his head in her direction.   
  
"Things change Maurice. I've finally realized I'm no one's bitch. Especially not yours." She said to him through gritted teeth.   
  
"Not even Orion's?" Maurice asked her, motioning towards the door. Gen half-turned and saw what was behind her. Orion was standing behind the door, unchained and looking unconcerned.   
  
"Orion." She hissed, her fingers curling into claws. Before Maurice could stop her, she dived at him. He couldn't find the strength to ward off her attack, instead he lay there laughing as she kicked at him and punched his face. "I hate you! I hate you!" She screamed, spittle flying from her lips.   
  
Orion laughed at her and grabbed her around the throat. Gen struggled to get free, but he lifted her off the ground, his cold yellow eyes flashing with anger. Slowly, he walked her over to the window, his muscles quivering.   
  
"I loved you." Gen choked out, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.   
  
"Your mistake." Orion said. Gen flashed Aren one last look of anguish before her back crashed through the glass of the window. Glass flew everywhere as the vampire girl plummeted to the concrete twelve stories below.   
  
Aren winced at the vampire's raw pain, but quickly turned her attention back on Maurice. He was the real target, the real evil behind Willis's death. He was the monster behind the forces that had torn her life apart. He had to die.   
  
Aren slid the hidden stake from the back of her pants into her hand very slowly, and waited.   
  
"Very well done, Orion my son. I believe that you're ready to rejoin the fold." Maurice said, smiling at his minion. Orion didn't turn at his words, he only laughed and stared out into the bright Las Vegas night.   
  
"Maurice, you always were a fool." Orion said, turning to face his sire. His long dark hair fluttered in the breeze from the broken window, his features demonic from the lights outside. "I'm taking over this little empire of yours, and you can't stop me."   
  
"Oh really. Who's the one with a gun, asshole?" Maurice said, turning it off of Aren and pointing it at Orion. He fired it straight at him, catching him in the shoulder.   
  
"A gun won't kill me." Orion said, laughing and clutching his shoulder.   
  
"No, but this will." Maurice said, lifting the crossbow and shooting it straight at his heart.   
  
Orion flew backwards out the window, turning to dust as he fell. His ashes scattered to the ground, drifting in the breeze.   
  
"Now where were we?" Maurice said, turning his cold glare back at Aren. She gulped and narrowed her eyes. "Oh yes, we were having a stand off." With that, he raised the gun and pointed it back at Aren.   
  
"What are you waiting for? Shoot." Aren said boldly, glaring at the vampire boss.   
  
"I'm just waiting for Remy to get up here with your werewolf. I expect he'll want to make a trade; the amulet for the wolf. A pity the little idiot doesn't know the Jewel of Apollo is a fake." Maurice said wryly, sighing heavily. "See the things you have to deal with when you're an all powerful vampire master?"   
  
"My sympathies, really." Aren spat out, weighing the stake in her hand. Maurice ignored her reply and smiled.   
  
"I do believe that they're here." He said, motioning towards the door. It swung open, and Remy hauled in Oz by his throat. Aren's heart lurched when she saw him.   
  
She nearly ran to him, but the look on his face stopped her. He winked at her; something was up.   
  
"Welcome Remy, so nice to see you. I suppose you've come to barter for the Jewel of Apollo?" Maurice asked in a bored voice.   
  
"Hell yeah I want that thing. I'm tired of playing the fool. Orion never knew I planned on double-crossing him to get it. Nothing is going to stop me from having it, not even you, Maurice." Remy said, his eyes burning.   
  
"Fine, fine. What are your terms?" Maurice asked him, rolling his eyes.   
  
"The werewolf for the Jewel. Give it to me, or I'll kill him." Remy said, shaking his hair out of his face.   
  
"How surprising. Here it is, come and get it." Maurice said, sighing with amusement. He picked the heavy gold amulet up off of the desk and held it up for Remy to see.   
  
Remy's eyes lighted on the false jewel and he smiled. Pulling Oz with him, he walked over to Maurice and took the amulet from him. Quickly, he shoved Oz away from him and ran out the door.   
  
Maurice sighed again and smiled, "What a little idiot." He twisted Oz around and held him tight. "And then there were two. I'm just going through enemies tonight, and not a scratch on me."   
  
"Don't be so sure about that." Oz said, his voice roughened by the change. He grabbed Maurice's arm, and using his werewolf strength, he broke it in two. Maurice screamed with pain and struggled to get free. "Now." Oz screamed at Aren.   
  
Aren gripped the stake in her hand and aimed it carefully. With precision aim, she threw it. It landed in Maurice's chest, but he didn't get dusty. Aren growled a bit and ran at him. She leapt into the air and kicked the stake home.   
  
Maurice screamed in anger as he turned to dust, crumbling in Oz's arms.   
  
Aren stood there, her chest heaving, all her anger leaving her body. It was over; Maurice was dead.   
  
Suddenly, Aren heard a growl and she looked up. Oz was fighting his change, struggling to get back in control of his body. Sweat was beading his brow and he was breathing heavily. Slowly Aren approached him, holding out her hands as if to a wild animal.   
  
"Oz, come back to me. Please." She whispered, staring into his black eyes. Slowly, little by little, the black changed back to green and Oz was staring her in the face. Relief spread over his features as he looked up at her.   
  
"Welcome back, junior." Aren said, smiling at him. He smiled back up at her, his eyes twinkling.   
  
"Its good to be back." Oz said, then his smile faded as he caught sight of the wall of video screens. "Uh oh. What are we going to do about our little friend?"   
  
Aren turned to see the image of Remy running out of the casino into the night, the Jewel of Apollo clutched in his hands.   
  
"I wouldn't worry about him. When dawn comes, he's going to be sorry he ever heard about the Jewel." At Oz's puzzled glance, she said, "It's a fake. Ironic huh?"   
  
"In that Alanis Morrisette kinda way, yeah." Oz said, smiling at her. "I thought you were dead." He said out of the blue, reaching out one hand to stroke her cheek.   
  
"I did too, but I couldn't stay away from you for long." Aren said teasingly, bringing her hand to his.   
  
"I'm so sorry I left you in the dark." He said, sorrow in his eyes.   
  
"I...I'm glad you did. I know now that nothing can ever hurt me again. And I have you to thank for that." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck.   
  
"Aren, I want to tell you something." Oz said, staring into her dark eyes.   
  
"Me too." She answered, bringing her lips to his.   
  
"I lo--" They both started to say, and then the door crashed in.   
  
*****  
  
Gen groaned and opened her eyes. Around her was a crowd of people, mostly looking sick and disgusted. She sat up and everyone's expression turned to horror. She stood up and looked up at the top of the casino.   
  
"Son of a bitch. If you weren't already dead, Orion, I'd kill you." She muttered, brushing glass off of herself.   
  
"Ma'am, are...are you alright?" An old man in a security guards' uniform asked her, his expression fearful.   
  
"I'm fine." Gen said, shoving the old man down on the ground. She walked away into the night, leaving behind a crowd of very confused and frightened people. Gen walked over to the side of the building and peeked out from behind the fountain, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone, especially Maurice and that slayer bitch, coming out of the casino.   
  
Remy went by her, but she let him go. She had other fish to fry. It wasn't long after that, that she spotted the slayer girl and the werewolf. She cursed when she saw them surrounded by a group of stuffy looking people dressed in tweed.   
  
"Dammit." She cursed, walking away from the casino. "One of these days, I'm going to get you my pretty. And your little dog too." Gen said, laughing hysterically into the darkness. 


	9. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
  
Oz snapped his guitar case shut and slid it into the backseat of the van. He sighed and looked up at the bright lights of the Vegas sky. "And I thought I'd never come back here." He said to himself, running a tired hand through his hair.   
  
"Hey junior!" Aren called, running up behind him. Oz smiled as he saw her; she was wearing the yellow dress he loved so much. She grinned at him, her eyes warm and happy.   
  
"Hey beautiful." Oz said, wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed her lips and breathed in her scent.   
  
"Looks like you're all ready to go." Aren said as she pulled away, eyeing his van.   
  
"Yeah." Oz said, looking at her uncomfortably.   
  
"You don't have to, ya know. You could stay." She said, begging him with her eyes.   
  
"I would just get in the way, what with your Watcher training and all. Besides, Vegas is just not my kind of town." Oz said, gesturing towards the neon Vegas strip.   
  
"Yeah, you're right. I'm going to miss you." Aren said quietly, running her hand over his shoulders. She reached down and grazed the scar on his arm. "I'm not sorry I gave this to you."   
  
"Me neither. It'll always remind me of you. As if I could ever forget you." Oz said wryly. "Aren...I.." Oz started to say, but she cut him off.   
  
"Don't say it. If you say it and leave, I don't think I could handle it." Aren said, tears welling in her eyes. Oz nodded in agreement, wiping away her tears. Their lips touched and soon they were lost in each other.   
  
Finally, Aren pulled away and smiled. "You'd better go."   
  
"I know. Besides, I think your new teacher is coming to play chaperone." Oz said, nodding towards a dower looking blonde woman dressed in a dark gray suit. Aren laughed when she caught sight of Lydia, the Watcher assigned to teach her.   
  
Oz kissed her one last time and then jumped up into his van. He started the engine and looked down at her.   
  
"Goodbye Oz." Aren said, wrapping her arms around her stomach.   
  
"Goodbye Aren." Oz said, smiling grimly at her.   
  
"Do you think you'll ever come back?" She asked him.   
  
"Count on it." He answered, grinning wolfishly.  
  
"You promise, junior?" Aren said, smiling mischieviously at him.   
  
Oz smiled and hit the gas. He yelled back, "I promise!" And then he was gone.   
  
Aren kept watching until he was out of sight, tears streaming down her face. Suddenly, Lydia's arms were around her shoulders, comforting her.   
  
"It'll be alright." The young Watcher told her. Aren nodded her head. She turned to her new mentor and wiped the tears away. She squared her shoulders and set her chin.   
  
"So, what are you waiting for? If I'm going to be a Watcher, we'd better get started!" Aren said brightly, her heart still heavy, but her mind much lighter.   
  
Lydia smiled and answered, "That's what I like to hear."   
  
*****  
  
Oz finally got out of the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas and was back onto the desert road. He breathed in and caught the scent that would haunt him forever. Aren was still with him, and she would always be, no matter where he went.   
  
"So, where to now Daniel?" Oz asked himself out loud. He reached under the seat below him and pulled out his handy Rand McNally. The map flipped open to Louisiana. His eyes lighted on New Orleans and he shrugged.   
  
"Why not. New Orleans it is." Oz said, turning his gaze back to the deserted stretch of desert road before him. As the sun went down, Oz lost himself in his memories. He wondered if he would ever truly find a place that he could call home.   
  
"Here's hoping." Oz said to the full moon as it shown down upon him. "Here's hoping."   
  
******  
  
Remy stepped out of the armored truck and into the sand. He was miles away from Las Vegas and well away from Maurice's influence. Now he could safely use the Jewel of Apollo.   
  
Remy slipped it around his neck and waited as the sun came up. He looked towards the east and watched anxiously as the tip of the sun showed over the mountains. The rays moved towards him and Remy smiled.   
  
Suddenly, he felt a burning sensation on his body and smelled sizzling flesh. He looked down and realized it was himself. Quickly, he dived back into the armored truck and closed the door.   
  
"It's a fake. The fuckin' thing doesn't work! Dammit!" Remy cursed, ripping the fake amulet off of his neck and throwing it at the wall. The heavy gold jewel hit the metal wall with a bang and bounced back, hitting the head of the hitchhiker he had found. The girl whimpered and tried to move away from him.   
  
Remy sat there, staring at the amulet and fuming. He picked up his knife and started cutting at his skin, hoping that pain would make him feel better; it didn't.   
  
"Alright. No problem. I'll just go somewhere. Start fresh. Sin City was getting boring anyway." Remy said to the bound and gagged girl, who stared at him fearfully.   
  
Night fell and Remy revved the truck to life. Soon he was on the road, but he was still pissed. Someone was going to pay for his loss; he didn't care whom. Remy smiled cruelly and hauled the girl towards him.   
  
In the middle of the desert, no one heard her screams. 


End file.
